PokéTales
by RyeLove
Summary: A small town girl, a musician, and a girl who dreams of winning the Pokémon League begin a journey through Hoenn together. Much awaits them throughout this humorous and exciting tale. Rated T due to mild language and violence.
1. CH 1 Jump Start

**Chapter 1: Jump Start**

"Meeeya!" a Skitty meowed, sticking her front paws up against the glass of a bedroom window. She had a black collar around her neck with a little yellow ball attached to the front of it that jingled softly as the Skitty looked about, obviously fixated on some noise in the distance.

"What's the matter Skitty?" a girl asked. She was sitting on the bed, brushing out her long, dark brown hair which was accented with a hint of red that could only be seen when the sunlight shined upon it. The Skitty hopped down from the chair she was standing on and raced out of the room. The girl sighed and set the brush down, wondering what had suddenly gotten into her Skitty. She slipped her feet into a pair of black cowboy boots decorated with white hearts and tucked her white skinny jeans inside before walking over to her closet to pull out a tight black t-shirt and a matching cowboy hat. Then she walked out of the room to see what Skitty was up to.

"Meeeya! Meeya!" the Skitty cried, scratching at the door in the kitchen.

"Hold your horses, Skitty, I'm coming," the girl said and opened the door. Skitty immediately raced out of the house and into the front yard. The girl yawned and went back inside because it was too cold. She grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter, took a seat at the table, and opened a Pokémon Coordinator magazine. Her name was Lyla and she was eighteen years old. She had been friends with Skitty for years but never really had much motivation to go on a journey. Her mother had owned a flower store there in Lavaridge Town and Lyla felt that the need to help out with it was far greater than the need to go on some Pokémon adventure. Then when her mother passed away, the desire completely died along with her. Now she lived alone with Skitty and life was pretty boring.

"MYA!" Skitty exclaimed from the front yard. Lyla sighed, setting the magazine down, and went out to see what all the fuss was about. Skitty's tail was flickering all over the place and she meowed happily once her friend joined in her the front yard.

"Okay, Skitty, I'm here. What's up?" Lyla asked. Skitty grinned and took off so Lyla chased after her. Pretty soon she began to hear a beautiful melody being played on an acoustic guitar and a voice singing along with it. There was a boy sitting outside of the Pokémon Center playing the guitar and Skitty jumped right into his lap.

"Well hello there," he said, stroking her on the head before he noticed Lyla walking up. He repeated, "Well, _hello there_."

"Hi," she said shyly and picked up Skitty from his lap. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," he said and brushed his hair from his face. It was kind of long and it was such a dark brown that it was pretty much black. In the front, it fell to just above his hazel eyes and it almost touched his shoulders in the back. He set his guitar down and looked up at Lyla. When he did, she noticed that he had a small beauty mark on his left cheek and she thought it was kind of cute.

"Are you a trainer?" he asked.

"No, actually. I live here."

"Aw what a shame. I'm a traveler myself. I've got a couple Pokémon traveling with me but we're a little lonely sometimes. Have you ever considered it?"

"What? Traveling?"

"Yeah, it's an amazing experience! You should at least try it. You've got a Pokémon!"

"It's too late to start now…besides, we don't know anything. We'd get lost or injured or something…"

"Well, you wouldn't be alone…"

"Is that invitation?"

"Maybe."

"But I don't even know your name!" she murmured with a shy smile.

"It's Aiden," he replied with a slight grin.

"Well, Aiden. I'm Lyla and I thank you for the invitation but I really don't think that would be good for me and Skitty right now and," Lyla began but Skitty interrupted with a sound of dissatisfaction. "But…Maybe we'll sleep on it. How long are you in town for?"

"I was heading out tonight, but I can wait until morning. We're pretty tired anyway. You can find me at the hotel around the block over by Flannery's gym."

"Yeah, I know where it is. It was nice meeting you Aiden. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, that would be nice," he said, lifting his guitar over his shoulder. He gave her one last smile and walked off in the direction of the hotel. Lyla stared at him until he was out of sight.

"Skitty…" she trailed off.

"Mya?"

"Why did you _do that_?" she asked softly, bending down to pet the Skitty who purred and brushed up against her leg. "I guess you were drawn by the music, huh?" The little Pokémon purred again.

"Yeah, it was pretty…Let's go home now."

She carried Skitty back to the house and set her down on the kitchen table inside. Skitty meowed and Lyla could tell that she was hungry, so she opened up a can of Pokémon food and set it down on the table for Skitty to eat.

"Mrrraaa," Skitty purred.

"Is it good, sweetie?" Lyla asked, stroking Skitty across the ears. They sat in silence for what seemed like hours while Lyla thought. "Hey…"

"Myeh?" Skitty meowed, looking up at Lyla.

"Do you think we should go? With Aiden?"

Skitty meowed happily and jumped into Lyla's arms. Lyla smiled but added;

"You know it wouldn't be very wise to go off into the wilderness with some boy we just met."

Skitty frowned and hopped back onto the table to finish her food. Lyla really did want to go but she had never left Lavaridge Town before so she was a little scared. She sighed and made a sudden declaration.

"Okay. Even if we don't go with Aiden, I guess it's probably time to start the adventure we should have started years ago."

Skitty cheered and Lyla smiled before suggesting that they go to the PokéMart to pick up what they needed. Skitty nodded and the two headed out.

When they got there, they noticed a girl about Lyla's age who was gathering up all sorts of Pokémon supplies. She had her arms full of medicine, Pokéballs, food, water, and various camping supplies. Without even saying a word, Lyla could tell that the girl was definitely a very bubbly person, judging by the wide smile on her face which appeared to be everlasting. She had straight blond hair that fell slightly below her shoulders and curled a little at the ends. Her blouse was cerulean-colored, like her eyes, and had a v-shaped neck. She was also wearing dark blue jean capris with black and white running shoes, and there was a pendant around her neck with some sort of purple stone.

"That gym sure does bring a lot of trainers here to Lavaridge," Lyla thought to herself and proceeded to a rack of medicines. She grabbed a bottle off the shelf and stared at it blankly.

"It's an antidote," the trainer noted. "You use it when you or your Pokémon gets poisoned by another Pokémon."

"Thanks," Lyla said sweetly but under her breath muttered, "I already knew that though, I'm not stupid…"

"Are you a new trainer?"

"Uh…Sort of I guess…"

"My name's Eziray! I could help you out if you want!"

"Well I met someone this morning and he was kind of going to walk me through this I guess."

"Hahaha! Why do I get the feeling that I know who you're talking about? He's got a guitar, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Oh that's Aiden! We're traveling together!"

"T-together? But I don't understand…He told me he was lonely…"

"Aww, what a shameless flirt! He likes you then. It sounds like he wants you to join us! I agree. The more, the merrier right?"

"Well…are you his girlfriend?"

"Haha no! I'm his _best_ friend!"

"Oh, sorry!"

"Don't worry about it! Hey, I'll tell you what. I'll get together a little starter kit for you. Let's see, you'll need Pokéballs aaaand…" Eziray trailed off as she began gathering things with a free hand and tossing them to Lyla.

"Thanks but, I don't have the money for all this," Lyla said, laughing awkwardly and trying not to drop all the stuff she was now holding.

"Don't worry about it, I've got it!" Eziray exclaimed as she paid the storekeeper for both her items and Lyla's. "So are you ready to hit the road?"

"What, are you crazy? I didn't even decide to go until about fifteen minutes ago! You can't expect me to be ready yet!"

"Oh nonsense! You'll be ready in no time!" Eziray exclaimed, handing Lyla a couple plastic bags filled with supplies and taking her by the hand.

"You sure are…enthusiastic!" Lyla exclaimed as Eziray pulled her out of the store by her hand.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. HEY AIDEN! I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!" Eziray exclaimed. Aiden was standing outside, looking over a map and glanced up at the two girls with a smile.

"Hello again," he said.

"Hi," Lyla said and Skitty popped her head out of Lyla's white shoulder bag.

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed.

"Aw, what a cute Pokémon!" Eziray observed. Lyla smiled and stroked the Pokémon's forehead. Then Eziray looked back at Aiden and continued, "She's gonna come with us! But she's not ready yet, so I was thinking we head back to her place and let her get ready! Then hit the road! So let's go, guys!"

Eziray linked arms with the two so that she was in the middle and began walking away from the PokéMart.

"Hey, uh, I live the other way," Lyla said with a giggle. Eziray gasped and pulled them around to go the opposite direction.

"What a strange girl," Lyla thought to herself.

The three trainers and Skitty made it back to Lyla's house and Lyla ran upstairs to pack some clothes and such while the others waited for her downstairs. Lyla gathered a few outfits and packed them away in her white bag along with all the supplies that Eziray had bought for her, a photograph of her mother, her PokéNav, and a few other things she thought she'd need. When she came back downstairs, there was a Pokémon standing on the couch and Skitty was meowing nervously because even she wasn't allowed on the couch.

"Would someone like to tell me why there is a Charmander standing on my sofa?" Lyla asked, poking it in the belly.

"This is Charo! He's my partner!" Eziray exclaimed. Charo growled and shot some embers into the air before promptly falling backwards and burning a hole in the sofa with the end of its tail. Lyla twitched but then thought for a moment.

"Wait, a Charmader? Just where exactly are you guys from? Charmander aren't native here," Lyla said with slight confusion.

"We're from Kanto, but we've already been all over that region so we decided to see what's in Hoenn. We were supposed to go visit Professor Birch, but Eziray wanted to see Mt. Chimney first, so…here we are," Aiden said with a small grin and a large sigh.

"Kanto? That's pretty far. So, did you challenge the Pokémon League?" Lyla asked with a cocked head. Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but Eziray butted in.

"I did, but I didn't get too far into the tournament. And as for Aiden, well…he's more of the entertainer, navigator, voice of reason-type guy…" Eziray explained.

"Nice description," he said with a sigh. "So what are your dreams?"

"Mine?" Lyla asked. "Well…I really don't know…"

Eziray's face lit up and she began to ramble: "Most people decide to become a coordinator or challenge the Pokémon League. But you could become a professor, a collector, a breeder, a ranger, a stylist, a scientist, an archeologist, a doctor, a nurse, a –"

"Yes, Ez. And the list goes on," Aiden said, a little fed up with Eziray's babblings.

"Like I said," Lyla said with a smile. "I'm really not sure what I'll do…"

Once outside, Eziray proposed that they should head up Mt. Chimney because trainers gathered around the summit. She mentioned that it would be good practice for Lyla and then asked if Lyla had ever battled before. Skitty looked up at her trainer and frowned and Lyla shook her head 'no.' Eziray laughed and insisted that it was nothing to be ashamed of and began walking east, declaring that she would be back for Flannery later. Aiden sighed and followed after her and Lyla looked down at Skitty who was standing at her feet.

"Ready to go, Skitty?"

"MYA!"

Lyla smiled and looked over her shoulder, giving Lavaridge Town one last look before following after her new friends. After they exited the town, they weren't walking for but fifteen minutes before bits of ash began sprinkling down over them. It was from Mt. Chimney which was actually volcano.

"It's the first time I've left Lavaridge and you're going to make me climb a mountain?" Lyla whined.

"Who said anything about climbing? Eziray, I think it's about time we introduce her to the crew. Espeon, come on out!" Aiden exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball into the air. The Pokémon popped out and Skitty brushed up against it, purring.

"You've already met Charo, so now you can meet Baby! I named her that because I hatched her from an egg myself," Eziray added, throwing up a Pokéball. Charo stepped aside as a Dratini popped out of the ball. Skitty bounced over and brushed up against these two as well.

"Nice to meet you all," Lyla said, bending forward and putting her hands on her knees.

"Thank you! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well. What is your name?" a voice asked. Lyla gasped and noticed the Espeon staring at her with a cocked head as if she was awaiting a response.

"Oh yeah, some Psychic Pokémon have the ability to communicate telepathically with humans. I'm assuming Espeon said something to you that she didn't want to share with the rest of us. Don't be scared," Aiden said with a laugh.

"L-Lyla…" Lyla trailed off, still a bit shocked that she was communicating with a Pokémon in English.

"What a pretty name you have," the Espeon said before scratching at the dirt with one of her paws. Lyla smiled as Eziray called back her two Pokémon.

"Call Skitty back and put your hand on Espeon's body like this," Aiden said, placing one hand on Espeon's shoulder. Eziray placed one hand on Espeon's back and they both looked at Lyla who was very confused but managed to tell them that Skitty didn't have a Pokéball. The two trainers shrugged and told Skitty to just hop onto Lyla's shoulder, so she did and then Lyla placed a hand on Espeon's forehead.

"Teleport!" Eziray exclaimed. Before Lyla could blink, she suddenly found herself at the top of the summit. She looked around, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Hey Espeon, how 'bout waiting for me to call the shots, hm?" Aiden asked with a grin, roughing up the fur on her head.

"Sorry Aiden, my mistake!" Espeon said happily as he petted her.

"Alright…now let's find a trainer…" Eziray trailed off and noticed a boy sitting on a rock, eating his lunch. "HEY YOU!"

"Come on, Eziray, let the poor kid eat!" Aiden called as she ran up to the boy.

"Lyla, come over here!" she called back. The boy looked up at them.

"Yes?"

"Are you a trainer?"

"Yes…"

"Would you do me a favor and battle me and my friend in a double battle? She's a beginner so I think it would be better for me to walk her through everything!"

The boy grinned and nodded and Lyla glanced at them with a concerned frown upon her face. Eziray assured her that it would be alright and the three trainers positioned themselves with a large gap in between the random trainer and the two girls. Skitty bounced out in front of Lyla, Eziray sent out Charo, and the boy sent out a Zigzagoon and a Poochyena.

"Alright, this is a one-on-one double battle with no substitutions. That means each side will have two Pokémon each. If a Pokémon falls, you can't send out another one and you also can't switch out a Pokémon with a different one at any time. The first side to knock out both of the other side's Pokémon will be victorious. Are both sides ready?" Aiden asked, taking the role of the referee.

"Ready!" the three trainers declared and Aiden instructed them to begin.

"You go first, Lyla," Eziray whispered. Lyla nodded.

"Skitty, use DoubleSlap!"

Skitty scampered forward and slapped the Poochyena across the face with the end of her tail then swung around and hit the Zigzagoon in the face with the other and pulled it off another three times before the Poochyena countered with Tackle. She was knocked back to her spot next to Charo.

"Are you okay, Skitty?" Lyla asked, bending down next to Skitty.

"Mya…" Skitty whined with slight discomfort.

"She's fine," Eziray assured. "Charo, use Flamethrower!"

Charo opened his mouth and shot a large blast of fire into Poochyena's face. The Poochyena stumbled backwards and fell to the ground almost immediately. Lyla was in shock as the boy returned the fallen Poochyena. Eziray noticed her alarmed expression and smiled.

"I defeated all the gym leaders in Kanto! So yeah, I'm strong! Right, Charo?"

"Char!"

"Okay, Zigzagoon, use Headbut!" the boy called out, nervously. The Zigzagoon charged forward towards Skitty who braced herself.

"Protect Skitty, Charo! Use Flamethrower!"

Charo shot a blast of flames into Zigzagoon's face causing it to stumble back but it managed to stay standing so Eziray ordered Charo to finish it off with Metal Claw. Charo nodded and sprinted forward, claws glowing brightly. He slashed at the Zigzagoon as he ran by and then paused once he was passed it. As the glowing of his claws faded, the Zigzagoon fell.

"Meh, you guys are out of my league," the boy said, calling back his fallen Pokémon. "I just can't believe it's over so quickly."

"You did great for your first battle!" Eziray praised.

"Thanks, but I didn't do anything," Lyla pointed out.

"Aw, it's okay. At least now you know what to do! Oh hey, do you need some medicine for Zigzagoon and Poochyena?" Eziray asked as she turned to their opponent.

"Nah, I'm fine. I was gonna head back to Lavaridge anyway. I'll just go to the Pokémon Center there. Thanks though."

Surprisingly enough, there weren't any other trainers there that day. Aiden suggested that they try to find a wild Pokémon so he could demonstrate how they were caught. Lyla agreed so everyone kept their eyes peeled but two hours rolled by and they still didn't have any luck. They decided to take a break for a moment and sat down to rest.

"Hey I think I see some Tailow up there," Eziray said, looking up into the sky.

"I don't even see what you're talking about but if you think Charo could hit em from here, no one's stopping you guys," Aiden said. Eziray scanned the sky for a few more minutes and frowned, claiming that they could no longer be seen.

"Meh?" Skitty said, perking her ears. She lifted her head and looked around. She noticed a little red and orange Pokémon pecking at the ground and scampering around. It was definitely a Fire-type and it resembled a baby chick. Skitty meowed and the other trainers looked at.

"What's that?" Eziray asked, holding up some red device.

"No data available," the machine said and Eziray frowned, putting the machine back into her pocket. It obviously needed an upgrade because it couldn't offer any information on this region's Pokémon.

"It's one of the starter Pokémon offered by Professor Birch here in Hoenn," Lyla said. "Is that a Pokédex?"

"Yep," Eziray replied, suddenly very excited because they had found one of the Hoenn starter Pokémon. Lyla had never seen a Pokédex before and promised herself that she would ask Eziray if she could see it later. Aiden stood up and Eziray whined that she wanted to catch the Pokémon. He reminded her that she already had two Pokémon with her while he and Lyla only had one each. Then he added that she already had a Fire Pokémon and it would be more strategic to have a variety of types for the Pokémon League. She sighed and told him he was right.

"Tor?" the Torchic said, looking up at the three approaching trainers.

"Alright, the first thing you wanna do when catching a Pokémon is weaken it. They'll put up less of a fight when you throw a Pokéball. So watch this. Espeon, use Swift!"

"Understood," Espeon said as her tail lit up. She swung it and a flurry of yellow, star-shaped discs was released from it that pummeled the wild Torchic. The Torchic immediately sat down and began to cry.

"Awww," Aiden said, scratching his head.

"He says, 'I was just trying to find something to eat. I don't understand why you're attacking me. You big bullies!'" Espeon informed.

"A translator, how convenient," Lyla said.

"Yeah, but once you've bonded with a Pokémon, you don't really need a translator anymore," Eziray said. "You just naturally understand them…"

"I know what you mean. I'm always able to sense how Skitty feels," Lyla murmured softly.

"There, there," Aiden said, taking a knee beside the Torchic and stroking its head. "I was just trying to show my friend how to catch a Pokémon. I don't know much about the Pokémon in this region so I had no idea you were still a baby…"

Torchic looked up at him angrily and Espeon clarified:

"'I'm not a baby!'"

"Alright, Alright. I'm sorry! Will this make you feel better?" Aiden asked as he held out a handful of Pokémon food. The Torchic ceased crying immediately and its face lit up as devoured the food from Aiden's hand. Then it stood up and looked pretty pumped.

"He says thank you and would like to battle you now," Espeon said.

"Alright, then let's try this again. Espeon, use Swift!"

Espeon fired another flurry of stars at the Torchic who countered the attack with Ember; the two attacks canceled each other out as the round bits of fire collided with the stars. Almost instantly, Torchic fired another round of Ember.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge it!"

Espeon zipped out of the way of the attack and proceeded forward, colliding into the Torchic. The Torchic shook itself and stood, beak glowing brightly and ran forward to use Peck. Espeon let it get very close and then her eyes began to glow bright blue. The Torchic was stopped dead in its tracks as he became outlined in blue and was thrown back by some unseen force.

"Woah, what was that?" Lyla asked.

"Psychic," Espeon replied. Aiden took out an empty Pokéball from his pocket and tossed it at the fallen Torchic. The center of the ball glowed red as it rocked back and forth and when the rocking ceased, so did the glowing in the center.

"Got it!" Aiden exclaimed, picking up the ball. "But it won't always be that easy."

He sent the Torchic back out of its Pokéball and suggested that all the Pokémon get acquainted with it and Skitty as well. So the trainers and Pokémon pretty much spent the rest of the day bonding together. They decided to stay there for the night and teleport over to Littleroot Town the next day to visit Professor Birch. Aiden explained that as they were leaving Kanto, Professor Oak had asked them to stop by Professor Birch's lab for something. He didn't tell them why, but they promised to go anyway and they had been fooling around ever since they arrived in Hoenn, so it was time to make that stop.

"Wasn't it nice of Eziray to buy us this tent, Skitty?" Lyla whispered that night after everyone else had fallen asleep.

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed quietly.

"I'm really, really excited right now. I thought I was going to be scared but I'm not. These people are really cool and I'm glad we became friends with them. I wonder what lies ahead of us. To be honest, I'm not really sure we will be able to handle gym battles and the Pokémon League. I know we just need practice, but I'm not really sure I want pursue that. I mean we can try it, but I've kinda been reading up on something that seems pretty interesting. You know those Pokémon Contests we would watch on TV from time-to-time? Would you ever want to compete in one?" Her eyes shone with excitement as she continued, "Because I really want to become Contest Coordinator. It looks like a lot of fun! I already have some really good ideas and plus then I wouldn't have to compete against Eziray in the Pokémon League. I mean what if I won and she didn't? I wouldn't want to take her dream away…I'm sure she wouldn't take it personally but I just think it's better this way…So if you agree with me, then I think I've made up my mind. Skitty?"

Skitty had already fallen asleep. Lyla smiled and stroked her fur as Skitty purred softly.

"Then it's decided."

**Author Notes:**

Personally, I think this is going to turn out better than my last fanfiction. I already really like it. Please tell me what you think in a review because I really want some feedback! The only character I based off anyone was Eziray; she's based off my new beta/best friend. Lyla is somewhat similar to me, but not exactly. For the most part, this fanfiction is true to the anime rather than the game. This means that Pokémon will know more than four moves, there will be cities/towns/landmarks that aren't in the games, etc. However, I use both the games and the anime as references when I'm writing so I guess it would be a slight mixture of both. So that about sums it up for now, read and review please!


	2. CH 2 Fail

**Chapter 2: Fail**

"RISE AND SHINE!" Eziray shouted.

"OHMAHGAAAAWD!"Lyla screamed for dear life. Eziray laughed hysterically.

"What are you, an alarm clock or something?" Lyla asked between panicked gasps. Eziray laughed again and nodded jokingly. Lyla glared at her.

"_And what are you doing in my tent?_" she demanded, more startled than angry. Eziray just giggled and told her that they had to get going before exiting the tent. Lyla plopped her head back against the pillow and looked at Skitty who was wide awake and purring loudly. She crawled up beside Lyla's face and curled up, purring even louder. Lyla laughed and sat up. She stretched for a moment and then packed up her red sleeping bag and pillow. She walked out of her tent and noticed that Aiden and Eziray were already packed up and ready to go and their Pokémon were just finishing breakfast.

"G'morning, sleeping beauty!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Good morning guys, hang on," Lyla replied as she yawned. She then turned to her tent and thought for a moment before realizing that she had no idea how to put it away. Aiden had set it up for her the night before and she hadn't been paying attention to the way it was set up.

"Need some help?" Aiden asked. Lyla blushed a little and nodded. As he broke the tent down and put it away, Eziray turned to Lyla.

"Awww!"

"What?"

"Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a little crush on Aiden. Is that why you decided to come with us?"

"Well I certainly didn't come because I have a crush on you!"

The two girls laughed for a moment as Aiden finished up with the tent and looked at them with a confused expression because he had no idea what they had said and only noticed their laughing. He handed Lyla her tent which was all rolled up and compacted neatly so she could shove it into her bag, and she did so.

"Now, Eziray, I know it's hard for you to be seen without a trail of Pokémon following behind you, but it's time to put Charo and Baby away so we can teleport to Littleroot," Aiden said as he called Espeon to come over. Eziray pretended to complain as she called her two Pokémon back. And as they had the day before, they all put a hand on Espeon and teleported instantly to their destination.

"It's a pretty small town. And it doesn't have a Pokémart or Pokémon Center either," Lyla explained as they began walking down a street. Then she added that she had never been there, just read about it. It was a pretty town though; there were houses aligned neatly along the hillside and there was even a little harbor to the East.

"You know, there's a ship that takes passengers from Kanto to that harbor. If you ask me, that's how we _should have_ traveled to Hoenn," Aiden commented.

"Aw come on! The plane was fun!" Eziray insisted.

"That little plane almost killed us…"

"Oh don't exaggerate!"

"I'm not. The damn thing was falling apart. We had the money to hire someone with a better plane, Eziray! You know, one that wasn't so…old…"

"Well we made it here alive!"

"I hope the pilot made it back to Kanto alive…"

"So you were the ones who illegally landed a plane on top of Mt. Chimney the other day," Lyla said, remembering a newsflash she had heard on TV. "Gosh I'm dizzy…how long does it take to get used to that teleporting thing?"

"Tell me, if you ever find out the answer," Eziray replied. She shook her head as if trying to become reoriented and dramatically began to stumble away towards the harbor.

"Now, normally, we don't really do it that way because it really is kind of lame. We like getting the full experience of hiking, camping, and so on. It's just that we really had to get here in a timely manner," Aiden explained. Lyla nodded and Aiden spoke again: "Eziray, the lab's the other way!"

"I knew that!" she exclaimed, pivoting her body and walking the other way. Aiden muttered something to himself and the three walked over to Professor Birch's lab. It was somewhat secluded from the rest of the town because it was up on a hill. It was probably the biggest building in town too. The trainers looked it over for a moment and noticed a jeep parked out front that looked pretty battered, so they wondered if that meant that professor birch was a reckless driver then. They laughed about it as they neared the building. Then they opened the door, and boy, were they surprised when they walked inside.

"Oh my gosh, Aiden!" a girl screamed as she rushed over to him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He immediately set her down and smiled awkwardly. She was a tiny little thing; she was only sixteen years old. She had a light pink, pleated skirt that was a tad too short. Over it, she wore a plain white shirt with a collar; she had most likely worn it to school because it looked like a uniform shirt. On top of her head was a thin, black headband with a little pink bow which was off-centered and matched the skirt. Her medium brown hair was layered and very short. It fell just below her ears and in the front, hung just above her icy blue eyes. And finally, she was wearing white, knee-high socks which were tucked into a pair of black dress shoes with a Velcro buckle.

"Aw…you followed me! All…the way…from Kanto…" he said, trying to act polite.

"Yep! I heard Professor Oak telling you to come visit Professor Birch here so I hopped aboard the next boat I could and here I am! What took you guys so long?"

"Is _that_ his girlfriend?" Lyla whispered to Eziray but obviously not quietly enough.

"God, no!" Aiden objected.

"Someday!" the girl exclaimed at the exact same time, noticing a slight look of relief fall upon Lyla's face at Aiden's response. The girl opened her mouth to speak but a man intervened. He had medium-length, brown hair which was very neatly combed. Under his lab coat, he wore a deep blue shirt and green cargo shorts with matching flip flops. This was, apparently, Professor Birch.

"Sorry miss," Professor Birch began, "but I had something to discuss with these two. Aiden? Eziray? Come with me. Your other friend can come too I suppose."

"No, it's fine. I guess I'll stay here," Lyla said. Truth be told, she was very curious and wanted to wander around the lab a bit. As soon as the three left the room, the girl turned to her.

"So I bet you're just _dying_ to know who I am!"

"Um. Well actually, I don't particularly care too much, but you're free to introduce yourself if you want. I'm not going to stop you."

"Well if you're not interested then I won't tell you! If you want to know who I am, you have to _ask_!"

"…Fine. Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Olivia. I'm Aiden's number one fan. I think it's so cute that you, like, have a thing for him. But do you even _know_ him? _I_ know him. I know _everything_ about him. His favorite color? Blue. Birthday? April 2nd. First Concert? In Saffron City. That's in the Kanto region. Hometown? Celadon City. That's also in Kanto, by the way. First Pokémon? Eevee of course, but she was a gift. The first Pokémon he ever _caught_ was Growlithe. Back in Kanto, he has an Arcanine, Fearow, Nidoking _and_ Nidoqueen, Ponyta, Lapras, and Poliwhirl. They're with Professor Oak and he didn't bring them because he wanted to make friends with as many Hoenn Pokémon as possible. Isn't that cute? Let's see…Likes: music, nature, Psychic-type Pokémon, watching Pokémon battles, girls with blue eyes, such as myself, and spoiling his Pokémon rotten. Dislikes: salad, expensive things, rap music, people who litter, and people who don't treat their Pokémon as friends. And there's plenty more that I know, but you're looking pretty bored now. I betchya didn't know all _that_, did you?"

"Nope, but I do now. Thanks," Lyla said with a wink. Olivia responded with a death glare and at that moment, Skitty realized that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that these two girls would ever get along with each other.

"Mya…" she said, uneasily.

"And just who exactly are _you_, anyway?" Olivia asked with much less enthusiasm. "If I may ask…"

"My name's Lyla, I grew up in Lavaridge Town here in Hoenn, my first Pokémon was this Skitty, I'm a contest coordinator, and I didn't have to stalk Aiden to get to know him," Lyla said with a dignified grin and walked away, leaving Olivia quite livid.

"I've never seen Olivia so angry before. What did you say to her?" Eziray asked with a chuckle as she walked out of the room that she had followed Professor Birch into.

"The truth," Lyla said, sticking her tongue out slightly.

"Wish I coulda been there," Eziray said with a laugh. "But listen, Professor Birch wants to talk to you. Mind coming in?"

"Not at all!"

The two girls walked back into the room and Professor Birch smiled at them.

"So they tell me your name is Lyla and you are just now embarking on your very own Pokémon journey. Now I called you in here for two reasons. One, to get you away from that little annoyance in the other room who's been here for three days, waiting for Aiden's arrival. I swear that girl never stops talking…Anyway, but most importantly, I called you in here to give you a gift. This is a Pokédex," Professor Birch said as he handed Lyla a device. It was a red rectangular device that was rounded off on one side. On the side that was rounded off, there was a white Pokéball shape with a blue center. On the other side, there was a hinge that allowed you to flip the cover around to the bottom of the device. The cover had a green light on the inside of it that was similar to the green light below the screen when you slid the cover open. The screen, of course, was where the image was displayed when you scanned a Pokémon with it. The tip of the cover was moon-shaped and the white Pokéball was underneath so it could be seen when the device was open and closed.

"Thanks!" Lyla exclaimed, taking the device from his hands with care.

"You're lucky! Yours is a more recent model than ours. He only updated ours with the new software so we can identify the Pokémon in this region. I guess that's why Professor Oak sent us here," Aiden said as he held up his Pokédex. It was red like Lyla's but unlike hers the shape of a small book and therefore flater and wider compaired to hers.

"If you all had hurried up and gotten here yesterday, you would have met another trainer who came here from a different region. He's actually a beginner and wanted to start his journey in this region because his dad lives here I guess. He's from the Johto region. You might just run into him. His name is Noah. Let me try to describe him…let's see. He's got light blue eyes, somewhat long black hair. It's really straight and his bangs cover his left eye. He was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt with a skull on it and light gray long sleeves sticking out from underneath. Hm…his tennis shoes were black...and I'm pretty sure his ears were pierced. His tongue was certainly pierced," Professor Birch explained with a slight shiver.

"Sounds like a fun guy," Lyla said sarcastically.

"Oh he really was a nice boy though, about you guys' age. OH and he had a tattoo on his neck. It was some Japanese symbol but I'm not sure what it meant," Professor Birch added. "But anyway, that's not so important right now. Eziray, Professor Oak tells me that you're quite the trainer and you'll most certainly be wanting to take on the Hoenn Pokémon League, am I correct?"

"Yup yup!" Eziray confirmed enthusiastically.

"Then you're going to want to go to Oldale Town next. It's north of Littleroot town. You have a map right? Anyway, you'll need to go to the Pokémon Center there to register for the Pokémon League. Then you can start collecting badges and such. Is that something you would be interested in Lyla?"

"Well…I've been thinking about it and I suppose I'll try it, but I'm really interested in something else…"

Eziray and Aiden looked at her with a little surprise because she hadn't said anything to them about it. She continued:

"I've always been a fan of contests so…I was thinking about becoming a coordinator!"

"That's great!" Eziray exclaimed. "How exciting! Now we've got a variety of dreams among us! It makes things more interesting that way, that's for sure!"

"Well then, I'm not so sure about how to register for that. I'm assuming you could do that in any Contest Hall, but you could ask about it at the Pokémon Center in Oldale Town. The Nurse Joys judge contests so they probably know a lot about them," Professor Birch explained.

"Thank you so much!" Lyla exclaimed, getting a little excited.

"You're very welcome!"

"Come on guys, let's get going!" Eziray exclaimed, grabbing both of her friends' arms.

"But –" Aiden began.

"Bye Professor Birch! Thanks for all your help! We'll stay in touch! Good luck with your research!" Eziray shouted as she dragged her friends from the room, leaving Professor Birch chuckling to himself. The three rushed right past Olivia in the other room too. She had gotten distracted by some interesting-looking machine and didn't notice them. Once outside, Eziray dragged them back down the hill to Route 101.

"Eziray, must you?" Aiden asked as they came to a gradual stop and she panted for a moment.

"Sorry, I just really want to challenge my first gym," she said in between breaths.

"But you don't even know if there's a gym in Oldale!"

"Well the sooner we get there, the sooner we'll find out!"

"They're silly, aren't they, Skitty?" Lyla asked with a giggle as the three trainers began walking down Route 101 to Oldale Town. Skitty meowed and bounced along next to her trainer's heel. As they turned the corner, they found a Zigzagoon standing there, sniffing at an Oran Berry bush. It looked up at them and growled softly. Lyla looked down at Skitty.

"So, you wanna try to catch a new friend?" she asked.

"Meeeeh!"

"Alright, then use Tackle!"

Skitty charged forward and slammed into the Zigzagoon who skidded back and held its ground for a moment, a little bit stunned from the attack.

"Now use DoubleSlap!"

Skitty charged forward again but this time, she swung around a jerked her tail back and forth to hit the Zigzagoon across each cheek, multiple times. When Skitty was done, Lyla smiled and threw an empty Pokéball at the Zigzagoon who was apparently nowhere near weakened enough because it swerved around and hit the Pokéball back to her with its tail. The Pokéball flew straight back and hit Lyla in the face, leaving a large red bruise, and then the Zigzagoon fled quickly.

"Yeah, you just need to try weakening them a little bit more before you try to catch them!" Eziray advised, about fifteen minutes later as Lyla held a bag of ice up to her face.

"Let me see," Aiden said as he grabbed Lyla's hand and gently guided it back down so he could see where she was hit. "It's still red but at least there won't be a bump now. I'm gonna go put the ice back in the cooler to keep the food fresh, okay?"

"Not a problem," Lyla sighed.

The trainers continued on their way to Oldale Town and Lyla kept her eyes peeled for another opportunity to catch a wild Pokémon. Eziray had both of her Pokémon out of their Pokéballs now and she was babbling on nonstop as they walked. Baby slithered over to Skitty who was walking beside Lyla and the two began to converse about something.

"Aww," Eziray said. Lyla looked down at the two and smiled.

"Making friends, Skitty?" Lyla asked. Skitty meowed happily and continued chatting with the Dratini.

"YOU GUYS, WAIT FOR ME!" someone shouted all of a sudden. Aiden twitched slightly as Olivia ran up behind them.

"Why did you ditch me?" she demanded.

"We didn't ditch you, we just didn't want to wait for you," Lyla said with fake politeness. Eziray elbowed her and told her to be nice.

"Sorry Olivia," Aiden said with a sigh. Her face lit up immediately and she threw her arms around him.

"Oh, I know you would never leave me behind, Aiden. I'm not blaming you. It was _her_ idea, wasn't it?" she asked, giving Lyla a death glare.

"Damn, you got me," Lyla said with a smile, realizing just how fun it was to mess with Olivia's head. "Yup, I was the evil mastermind behind it all, and I almost got away with it too!"

Eziray couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Yea, you two think you're so funny! Don't you? Well I'll have you know that neither me nor Aiden are laughing!" Olivia said, arrogantly.

"Olivia!" Aiden exclaimed.

"Yes, Aiden!" Olivia responded.

"I just remembered, I left my sunglasses at Professor Birch's lab…"

"Want me to go get them and then give them to you the next time we bump into each other?"

"Yeah, that would be great."

"Okie dokie! No problem! When's your next concert, by the way?"

"Uh…I don't know, but I'll let you know okay?"

"Alright, well I look forward to it! Bye Aiden! I won't let you down!" she exclaimed before giving him a kiss on the cheek and running back towards Littleroot.

"Well that was fun," Lyla said after a few moments of awkward silence. Aiden sighed and said that he really did leave them behind. The other two laughed and they all continued on their way. It wasn't long before they came across a little black Pokémon, curled up and sleeping off the side of the road next to a puddle of water. Its ears perked as it heard the trainers approaching and it stood, looked around, and then proceeded to the puddle.

"Hey look!" Eziray said, pointing to the Pokémon who was now drinking from the small puddle on the ground. "Why don't you try catching that Poochyena?"

"Okie dokie! Skitty, use DoubleSlap!"

Skitty sprinted forward and smacked the Poochyena several times across the face. It didn't seem to do much other than tick the Poochyena off. The wild Pokémon simply turned its head slowly back to Skitty and began growling at her.

"Oh no…" Lyla trailed off.

"Myeeeh," Skitty cried, backing up slowly. Poochyena barked and Skitty ran in the opposite direction.

"Skitty!" Lyla called as the Poochyena chased it back towards Littleroot. The three trainers chased after them but pretty soon the two were out of sight. They kept running and eventually heard meowing coming from a tree. They looked up and saw Skitty sitting on branch way up high and the Poochyena was nowhere to be seen.

"It's okay, Skitty! You can come down now! The big, bad wolf is gone!" Lyla coaxed. Skitty jumped into her arms and they all got going again. They didn't see any other Pokémon for the rest of the walk. They did, however, spot a ruin on top of a hill and wondered if it was worth taking a look at. In the end, they decided to just keep on trekking to Oldale Town and maybe check it out if they were ever in the area again.

"This must be it," Aiden said as they arrived in a little town even smaller than Littleroot. They saw the Pokémon Center right away and headed in. The Nurse Joy greeted them warmly and both Eziray and Lyla registered for the Pokémon League. Lyla was pretty certain that she wasn't going to collect all the gym badges and participate in the Pokémon League, but she registered just in case she later changed her mind. Then she inquired about Pokémon Contests.

"Oh that's easy! You just go into any Pokémon Hall to register. You'll get a Contest ID Card and get entered into the system. That's also where you go to sign up for contests if there happens to be one approaching," Nurse Joy explained. Lyla thanked her and then Eziray suddenly remembered something.

"Hey! Where's the nearest gym?" she asked.

"That would be in Petalburg City but…" Nurse Joy trailed off.

"Something the matter?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"It's just that…Norman is pretty strong and I definitely wouldn't recommend challenging him if you're a new trainer…"

"Oh, don't worry! I'm not a newbie! I came here from Kanto!"

"Well in that case, it's okay I guess. Just please be careful and don't kick yourself too hard if you lose, okay?"

"Don't worry," Eziray said and the three trainers exited the building.

"Maybe I shouldn't challenge him then…" Lyla thought out loud.

"Hey, don't sweat it! Nurse Joys always worry about that sort of thing!" Eziray reassured. Lyla smiled and looked up. She saw a silhouette of something gliding overhead and she brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. The Pokémon flapped then landed on the ground beside them. It was a white bird with blue stripes on its wings.

"What's that?" Eziray asked.

"It's a Wingull," Lyla replied, offering it a sandwich from her bag. "They usually hang out by the ocean so I guess this one wandered over here from Slateport City. I've never seen one but I've heard they're pretty pesky. It's fine though. I'm just really eager to catch my first Pokémon! How'd you like to come with – OW!"

The Wingull had latched onto Lyla's hand with its beak and she was certain that it did it on purpose. She told Skitty to use DoubleSlap and it let go immediately to flutter out of the way. Lyla then told Skitty to use Tackle but the Wingull flew out of the way of that attack too. After a few more failed Tackles and DoubleSlaps, the Wingull lost interest, blasted Lyla in the face with Water Gun and flew away completely. Lyla banged her head against a nearby wooden sign.

"At this rate, I. Am. Never. Going. To. Catch. A. Pokémon," she said as she continued to bang her head against the sign.

"Patience, Lyla," Aiden said with a smile.

"Hm? Where'd Eziray go," Lyla asked, looking around. She spotted Eziray several yards away, talking to someone.

"She's probably getting directions to Petalburg. She wants to battle that gym today."

"_Today_? But I'm tired," Lyla whined.

"Alright, we gotta go that way!" Eziray said, returning to her friends and pointing to the west. Both Aiden and Lyla sighed and followed her to Route 102. They began walking down the route and noticed up ahead that there was a worm-like Pokémon slinking along.

"Ah, a Wurmple!" Lyla exclaimed. "This should be an _easy_ catch! I'm getting tired of all this nonsense. Let's do this, Skitty! Tackle it!"

Skitty nodded, fully pumped, and charged forward. The Wurmple stared blankly as Skitty approached and then it shot some sort of sticky silk that wrapped around Skitty's body and stopped her in her tracks.

"Really? _Really?_" Lyla said angrily as Skitty struggled to break free of the silk and the Wurmple crawled away. "Is anyone else keeping count here?"

"Four!" Eziray exclaimed.

"It's okay, Lyla. You just need to be patient!" Aiden reassured. "You're new at this, remember?"

"I know," Lyla said with a sigh as she helped Skitty break free.

"Hey! Are you three trainers?"

They looked up and saw a boy standing in front of them and the first thing they noticed about him was the tattoo on his neck. Lyla cocked her head and stared at it for a moment while Eziray challenged him to a battle. As the boy spoke, Lyla also noticed that his tongue was pierced and she suddenly realized that this was the trainer that Professor Birch had told them about.

"Noah?" Lyla said.

"Hm? How do you know my name?"

"Professor Birch told us about you…"

"Ahh, so you're the trainers he was telling me about. You must Eziray, you must be Aiden, but…who are _you_?"

"My name's Lyla. I'm a new trainer too. These two persuaded me to join them."

"Nice! Yeah, I'm kind of new myself, but we've been training ever since we got here. I heard Norman's tough so I decided to stay on Route 102 for a while and toughen up. So, what'll it be? Three-on-three?"

"Well, actually, I only have two Pokémon with me," Eziray said.

"Hm. I see. That's fine. Two-on-two then!"

"Right. Baby, let's go!" she exclaimed, as Baby positioned herself in front of her trainer. Eziray hadn't yet called her back to her ball from earlier.

"Tailow! Come on out!" Noah exclaimed as he tossed a Pokéball up into the air. A Flying-type popped out and cawed loudly. "Ladies first."

"Baby, use Twister!"

Baby circled the tip of her tail around and around until a vortex of energy began to form in front of her, kicking up dirt and dust. She flicked her tail and the Twister began to make its way towards Tailow.

"Dodge it! Then use Peck!"

Tailow barrel-rolled out of the way of the attack and the Twister eventually dwindled away. Then Tailow's beak began to glow brightly as it swooped down.

"Thunder Wave!"

An electrical charged sparked around Baby's body and she closed her eyes as the sparks extended out and shocked the incoming Tailow. There was no damage done but now spark surrounded Tailow's body and it found itself struggling to move so it fell to the ground. The move had paralyzed it.

"Now let's see if that move we've been working at will be successful this time!"

"Oh no," Aiden said, smacking his forehead.

"Use Dragon Rage!"

Dratini opened her mouth as if she was about to release a massive and powerful attack but only managed to cough up a puff of smoke. The failure made her eyes water and Eziray tried to comfort her. While they were distracted, Tailow managed to get itself up into the air again but she was still a little shaky.

"Quick Attack!"

She raced forward at breakneck speed and smashed into Baby before circling around and cringing once again from the sparks. She suddenly lost control and crashed into the ground due to the paralysis.

"Finish it off, Baby! Use Wrap!"

Baby slithered forward and wrapped her body around Tailow while the Flying-type was trying to get ahold of herself. She constricted her body and then began to crush the Tailow and it cried out in pain. When she released, the Tailow fell over, twitching.

"Damn," Noah said, returning his fallen Pokémon and Eziray praised Baby before calling her back as well "Not a problem, maybe I can end this in a draw! And if not, you get to haul my ass to the Pokémon Center!"

"Hahaha, Aiden, get the stretcher ready! Charo's up!"

"Char!" Charo exclaimed, dashing forward.

"Ah, the Kanto Fire Starter. Have you ever seen Johto's? Cyndaquil! Let's do it!"

"QUIIIIL!" the little Fire-type exclaimed as it blew fire out of the holes on its back.

"Woah," Lyla said, flipping her dex open and pointing it at the Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil: The Fire Mouse Pokémon. It is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball. When startled, attacked, or angry, flames are shot from the holes on its back," the dex informed.

"You know what they say," Noah said with a shrug. "Fight fire with fire! Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!"

Cyndaquil made a facial expression as if it were about to sneeze and then blew out a cloud of dark grey smoke that surrounded the area. Charo looked around nervously, unable to see neither its trainer nor its opponent.

"Now use Dig!"

"Charo, can you see it? When you do, use Metal Claw!"

Charo looked around, claws glowing and read to slash into the Cyndaquil as soon as it appeared. Before it could so much as blink, Cyndaquil came up from underneath the ground and sent it flying up into the air with the super effective Ground attack. Charo opened its eyes in midair in time to see a ball of rotating fire coming towards it. He didn't have enough time to react and the ball of fire hit him square in the stomach, knocking him back to the ground and out cold. The fireball rotated back down to the grown and gradually slowed, revealing that Cyndaquil had been inside.

"What was that move?" Lyla asked.

"Flame Wheel. You really are new, aren't you?" Noah said with a smile.

"Be nice!" she demanded.

"Hey now, don't get so defensive. I just think it's adorable, that's all!"

"Adorable?" Lyla asked timidly with a slight smile as Eziray knelt beside Charo.

"Charo, are you okay?" Eziray asked, stroking his head. He came to and angrily shot a couple Embers into her face. "OW! OW! What?"

"Char! Char! Char! Mandeeeer!"

"Alright, alright, we'll try it your way next time, sheesh!"

"Hey a draw's better than a loss, am I right?" Noah pointed out with a chuckle.

"I guess so," Eziray said.

"So, Lyla, I couldn't help but notice you scanning my Cyndaquil with your Pokédex. Does that mean you haven't ever seen the Johto Starters before?" Noah asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Uh…no, I haven't," she admitted. He smiled and held up two Pokéballs, releasing what was inside: the Water-type, Totodile, and the Grass-type, Chikorita.

"You have all three?" Eziray asked, in awe of the Johto starter trio. Lyla scanned the other two with her dex as well.

"Totodile: The Big Jaw Pokémon. Its powerful, well-developed jaws are capable of crushing anything. Even its trainer must be cautious…Chikorita: The Leaf Pokémon. Its pleasantly aromatic leaf has the ability to check humidity and temperature. It is very docile and loves to sunbathe," the dex informed.

"My mother's a breeder and she gave all three to me," Noah said, lifting his hand to his head.

"SEEDOT!" a Pokémon said all of a sudden, popping down from a nearby tree. It very much resembled an acorn as it hung from a branch.

"I really don't know what that is, and I'm really much too worn out to care," Lyla said. Eziray whipped out her Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon in front of them.

"Seedot: The Acorn Pokémon. It attaches itself to tree branches by using the top of its head and it loves to drop down to scare other Pokémon. Strong winds can sometimes knock it down, however," the dex informed.

"Alright, acorn-thing! You're coming with me! Skitty, we got this! Use Tackle!"

Skitty slammed into the Seedot with Tackle and then followed it up with DoubleSlap. Those were the only two attacks she knew at that present moment, so she kept using them. Eventually, however, the Seedot's body began to glow.

"What, is it evolving?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"Um. No. It's not. L-Lyla? Stop. Please," Aiden said, but Lyla just smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I got this! Just a little more…" she trailed off, taking out an empty Pokéball from her bag.

"No, really, you need to stop before – "

Before Lyla could throw the ball, there was a bright flash and Skitty was blasted back by a huge amount of energy that was so powerful, it took the trainers with it as well. When they opened their eyes again, they were pretty much back in Oldale Town and Aiden told them that the attack was called Bide. He explained that Bide absorbs all the damage taken and doubles it when the energy is released.

"You know, maybe I'm just not cut out for this whole trainer thing!" Lyla said, sprawling out on the ground with a sigh. They decided to stop and rest there for a while and wondered if Noah was okay.

Noah wasn't with them because, truth be told, he was fortunate enough to not have been blasted away. He smiled to himself and walked away, heading towards Petalburg City.

"Interesting people. I hope I run into them again soon," he said to his Pokémon who were trailing behind him. The looked up at him and nodded in agreement.

**Author Notes:**

The two new characters introduced in this chapter (Olivia and Noah) aren't really based off of anyone in particular although I'm pretty sure that Olivia is an anime archetype of some sort, you know, that annoying admirer/stalker who thinks she's adorable and follows around one of the main characters, claiming to be madly in love with him. Yup, that's her. The ruins mentioned in this chapter are significant, by the way. They'll be mentioned again very soon. Anyway, thank you for reading :) I hope you liked it and will continue reading! Don't forget to leave a review!**  
><strong>


	3. CH 3 Enter  Team Magma

**Chapter 3: Enter - Team Magma**

"This feels gooood!" Lyla said as she dangled her bare feet in the water of a small pond.

"I bet! Those boots look pretty uncomfortable," Eziray said, joining her.

"Nah, they're not bad. It's just hot outside."

"True. Hey Skitty, aren't you going to join us?"

"Mehhhh…"

"Skitty doesn't like water!" Lyla exclaimed.

"I know! I was just messing with her!"

"Anyone hungry?" Aiden asked, carrying a tray of sandwiches.

"Why did you make so many?" Eziray asked, staring blankly.

"_This_ is why," he said, placing the tray beside Torchic who was out of its Pokéball and following him around. The Torchic licked its beak and downed about half of the sandwiches in less than a minute. He sighed and picked up the tray. "I'd say there's just enough for us now!"

"Tor! Tor!" Torchic whined. He sighed again and set the tray back down so it could finish off the rest of the sandwiches.

"What an appetite," Lyla observed as Torchic munched down.

"So how far were we blasted back?" Eziray asked.

"Pretty far. We're all the way back at Oldale Town pretty much," Aiden replied.

"Heh, sorry!" Lyla exclaimed as Eziray shrieked. "What's wrong, Ez?"

"Something…slimy…brushed up against my leg!"

"Wha?" Lyla asked as something slimy touched her leg as well. "What was that?"

A blue Water Pokémon popped its head out of the water and smiled.

"A Mudkip!" she exclaimed. "It's the Hoenn Water Starter!"

"Really?" Eziray asked.

"It's really little though. I think it's a baby. Hi there, little one," Lyla said, extending her hand to pet it.

"Muuuud…" it trailed off before promptly blasting her in the face with Water Gun.

"Pokémon hate me," Lyla muttered. The Mudkiphopped out of the water and called to her. Then it chased its back fin for a moment. "It's so cute though!"

The Mudkip seemed overjoyed by her compliment and scurried over to her, letting her stroke its head this time.

"You know what they say," she said enthusiastically, "sixth time's a charm!"

"It's third…" Aiden corrected.

"Whatever. Skitty, come over here please!"

"Mya!"

"Okay Mudkip, I'm going to battle you now, is that alright?"

"Mudka!" it exclaimed, battle posing. She smiled and stood, taking a few steps back.

"Alright, Skitty, use Tackle!"

Skitty charged forward and into the Mudkip, who stumbled backwards a little and looked back up at them, cocking its head. Then it smiled and used Water Gun, but Skitty dodged it with ease. Lyla, unfortunately, wasn't so quick on her feet and was drenched from head to toe. She twitched, but ordered Skitty to use Tackle again. This time, Mudkip used Ice Beam and froze one of Skitty's paws to the ground. She struggled to break free, but couldn't. He could have finished her off but decided to investigate her instead. He walked right up to her and got right up into her face to stare at her for a moment. She hissed at it and it circled around to stare at her from behind, where Lyla saw her opportunity.

"Now's your chance! Use DoubleSlap!"

Skitty's ears perked up with excitement and she quickly jerked her tail back and forth, beating Mudkip silly. He stumbled back, very dizzily, and used Water Gun. Skitty was not amused. She broke her foot loose instantly and glared at the Mudkip who had dared to get her wet. Then she smacked it relentlessly with her tail until it fell to the ground.

"Easy, Skitty! I think it's weak enough now!" Lyla shouted as she threw an empty Pokéball at it. Skitty stood over it, panting angrily as it rocked back and forth. It stopped and Lyla appeared to be confused.

"You…got it!" Aiden exclaimed.

"I did? It's really in there? It's really mine?" Lyla asked, completely stupefied.

"Yes, silly! Go pick it up!" Eziray exclaimed. Lyla walked forward and picked up the Pokéball with a big smile on her face. Then she tossed it forward and the Mudkip popped out and cocked its head at her.

"AWWW!" she cried happily. "I just can't believe I caught you!"

"Muuudkip!" it exclaimed and blasted her in the face with Water Gun again, laughing hysterically.

"He says 'you look funny when you're wet,'" Espeon said. She was lying down under a shady tree and had been watching the whole time.

"We'll work on that," Lyla muttered, picking up her new Mupkip.

"H-HELP ME!"

They all looked up and saw a man with brown, spikey hair and dressed in all yellow work clothes fast-approaching. A small group of four hooded men and a Houndoom were chasing after him. The men were all in uniform; they were wearing red shirts with hoods attached to them. There were two black things that kind of resembled ears sticking off the sides of the hood, a black spot on the front of the hood, and a strange black symbol over the center of the shirt. The men were also wearing black gloves with red gauntlets, black pants with a red belt, red leg warmers, and black shoes.

"Enough is enough, Professor Alden!" one of the men shouted.

"We have to help him!" Eziray exclaimed, ordering Baby and Charo forward. Espeon and Torchic positioned themselves in front of Aiden and Lyla stood, setting Mudkip down on the ground in front of her, next to Skitty. The man scurried past them and hid behind Aiden.

"You've got to help me!" he panted.

"Okay, Charo, use –"

"I don't have time for this," a man with greyish brown hair said. "Houndoom, use Roar!"

The Houndoom let out a mighty Roar and all of the Pokémon were returned to their Pokéballs. Skitty didn't have a Pokéball so she remained standing in front of Lyla, cringing in fear.

"Skitty, be strong!" Lyla exclaimed. "HEY!"

One of the men had come up behind her and pulled her hands behind her back. Two of the other men came up and grabbed Eziray and Aiden as well. The one with brown hair picked up Skitty by the scruff of her neck and took out a small device from his bag, clicked it, and it extended into a cage which he crammed Skitty into. He handed it to one of the others and turned to the man that they had been chasing.

"These seem like good kids. It would be a shame if something bad happened to them, wouldn't it? Therefore, I suggest you give us your full cooperation."

The man hesitated with a sigh but gave in and started to lead them all somewhere.

"Lyla?" Eziray whispered as they walked, noticing Lyla's terrified expression. "Who are these people?"

"They're called Team Magma. They're a gang of villains here in Hoenn. I heard about them on the news…"

"Well aren't you well-informed," the grunt restraining her said before shoving her a little. "Pipe down!"

It seemed like they were walking forever. They passed through Oldale Town and were heading back in the direction of Littleroot Town but then stopped suddenly at a hill. It was the hill with the ruin that they had seen before. They entered the ruins and the three trainers were tied up and tossed into a corner. Skitty's cage was placed beside them and the Team Magma members continued through the ruins with Professor Alden leading them.

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed angrily as she used Tackle to try to break out of the cage. She kept slamming into the side without giving up even as Lyla begged her to stop. Suddenly a white orb began to glow inside her mouth and Lyla cocked her head as an icy beam was released from it. The bars of the cage froze solid and Skitty shattered them with one more Tackle.

"Woah, did Skitty just use Ice Beam?" Lyla asked the others as Skitty bounced over and chewed through their ropes. The trainers stood and Lyla asked Skitty to do it again. This time, Skitty's right paw began to glow white and she swung it, causing a blast of water to appear out of nowhere and soak the wall she was facing.

"That one was Water Gun," Aiden said with slight confusion.

"I knew it!" Lyla exclaimed. "That's Assist! The user will randomly use a move that one of its trainer's other Pokémon knows. I didn't have any other Pokémon before so she could never use it before!"

"That's pretty cool," Aiden said.

"Hey you kids!"

The three looked up and two of the grunts were standing there, glaring at them.

"Hey Aiden, you up for a Double Battle?" Eziray asked, getting pumped. Aiden nodded so the two stepped forward, Eziray sent out Charo, and Aiden sent out Torchic. One of the grunts sent out a Poochyena and the other sent out a Zubat.

"Alright, Charo, use Flamethrower!"

"And you use Ember, Torchic!"

Both Pokémon spat out their Fire-type attacks and both of the opponents' Pokémon were hit.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!"

"Poochyena, use Bite!"

Poochyena charged forward and leaped onto Charo, latching onto his neck with its powerful jaw. As Charo struggled to break free of its grip, Zubat fluttered over and began to create sound waves which drifted into Charo's face. The Poochyena somersaulted back as Charo's eyes began to glow red.

"What's happening to him?" Lyla asked.

"Supersonic confuses Pokémon. Charo's going to start thrashing around here pretty soon. This is bad," Aiden said. "Torchic, use Ember!"

Torchic opened his mouth and fired a flurry of tiny fire bits at the opponents who both dodged out of the way so the embers hit the ground with a slight explosion. Suddenly, Charo swiped at Torchic with Metal Claw but the Chick Pokémon ducked just in time. Charo then swerved around and hit Torchic right in the stomach with its tail.

"Charo! Stop it!" Eziray shouted. Charo began to go on a rampage, smashing into rocks and walls and banging its head against things. As the grunts began to chuckle, Charo turned back to Torchic and started attacking it once again. Torchic tried its best to avoid the attacks but finally Charo hit it with Metal Claw and Torchic started to cry. Charo was about to hit it again to finish it off but Skitty got in between them and smacked Charo around a bit with DoubleSlap.

"Thanks Lyla," Aiden said.

"Mhm!" she exclaimed as Skitty ran back to her side. Charo seemed to be snapped out of its confusion now and it looked at everyone with an apologetic expression on its face.

"It's okay, Charo! Use Flamethrower!" Eziray exclaimed.

Charo turned towards its opponents and fired the biggest flame it could. It hit Zubat but Poochyena disappeared. Suddenly, it came running up from underneath the flame and latched onto Charo's neck again with Bite.

"Not this again. Torchic, use Peck!"

Torchic jumped onto the Poochyena's back and began pecking away it its head, forcing it to release. Then both Fire-types blasted the Poochyena back with their Fire moves. One of the grunts called the Poochyena back to its ball and told his partner that he was going to go inform the commander of this and turned around to find Mudkip standing behind him.

"Muuud," Mudkip said, cocking its head and smiling mischievously.

"Yeah, and just what do _you_ want?" the grunt asked just before Mudkip froze him solid with Ice Beam. He then turned to the other grunt and froze him solid as well. The Zubat tried to flee but was also hit and frozen with Mudkip's Ice Beam. Lyla stared blankly.

"Is that _my_ Mudkip?" she asked, grabbing his ball from her belt. Sure enough, it was empty. "Huh. He must have popped out when I wasn't looking. Thanks Mudkip!"

Mudkip smiled and blasted his trainer with Water Gun and then she muttered to herself and returned him while Aiden called Torchic back. Eziray decided to keep Charo out because it was a little dim in the ruin and his tail could light the way. As they walked on, in search of Professor Alden and the other Team Magma members, Lyla noticed something about Charo that she hadn't noticed before. He was wearing a pendant around his neck with some sort of grey stone.

"It's an Everstone," Eziray said, noticing Lyla staring at it with wonder. "As long as he wears it, he won't evolve."

"Why wouldn't you want him to evolve?" Lyla asked.

"Well he was my first Pokémon and I got him as a Charmander. I guess we're just a little scared that things will change if I let him evolve, so we both decided that he should wear the Everstone until he really needs to take it off and evolve for some reason. Like if he needed a power boost or something."

"I see. I wonder if I should do the same for Skitty…" Lyla trailed off.

At the end of the corridor, the last grunt was leaning against the wall. He heard the trainers' footsteps and turned his head towards them before gritting his teeth.

"Oh great. The hostages escaped and those two nimrods couldn't handle them. What a drag…" he trailed off, pulling a Pokéball from his pocket. He extended the ball and tossed it forward; a strange camel-like Pokémon with a volcano on its back was released.

"That's a Numel. I've seen them wandering around Lavaridge before," Lyla said.

"Well since you're familiar with it and you didn't get to battle last time, why don't you take care of this? It'll be your first real battle!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Alright then," Lyla said, taking a few steps forward and throwing a Pokéball forward. "And since Numel's a Fire-type _and _a Groud-type, I'll use a Water-type!"

"Good idea!" Eziray exclaimed as Mudkip popped out of his ball.

"Yeah but it's not gonna make much difference. You look like you're fresh out of the trainer's academy, so I bet I've been around the block a few more times than you have, kid. Numel, use Focus Energy."

The Numel closed its eyes and relaxed, tightening its focus.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!"

Mudkip shot a blast of water towards the Numel who remained still until the last moment when it opened its eyes and immediately moved out of the way of the blast.

"Take it down!" the grunt ordered, so Numel charged forward at full power and Mudkip didn't have enough time to react before Numel slammed into it with Take Down. Mudkip rolled with the impact but managed to stand. It appeared that Numel was a little hurt as well, however.

"Immobilize it with Ice Beam!"

Mudkip opened its mouth and released a bright blue beam that shot across the surface of the ground, freezing it over, and continued towards Numel.

"Counter it with Ember!"

Numel opened its mouth as well and fired out a mass of embers that melted the ice when the two moves connected.

"Try using Tackle then!"

"Take Down!"

Before Mudkip could move, Numel bounced up onto the icy pathway that had been created by Ice Beam and slid forward, picking up even more momentum and power than it had before and slammed into Mudkip. The Water-type struggled for a moment and stood.

"Just as I thought. You _are_ a newbie. Here's a tip: pay close attention to the battle field. Change obstacles into advantages like I just did. You'll be more successful that way. Now, let's break up this ice and finish this match with Magnitude!"

Numel slammed its front feet into the ground and the whole room began to shake violently. Mudkip cringed as it took damage from the attack but after a moment, it began to glow.

"Hey, Lyla! Mudkip knows Bide too! Remember that move that the Seedot used?" Eziray shouted.

"Oh yeah…Alright Mudkip! Fire away!"

When Magnitude ceased, Mudkip looked up and there was a bright flash of energy that blasted Numel back into a wall. It slid down and cringed for a moment as Lyla smiled.

"Let's finish it up with Water Gun!"

Mudkip opened his mouth one last time and fired one final Water Gun. Numel wasn't able to react this time and took the ultra-effective blast directly to its chest. Mudkip celebrated by running around in circles and then freezing both the grunt and the Numel solid with Ice Beam.

"Good job!" Lyla exclaimed. "Sorry I let you get so beat up though…"

Mudkip just smiled and rubbed up against his trainer as if it hadn't been hurt at all. Lyla petted him and then returned him back to his ball before he could blast her in the face with Water Gun again. Then the three trainers continued into the room that the grunt had been guarding. They silenced immediately and got down on their knees upon entering the room because both Professor Alden and the Magma Commander were standing there. They had been deep in conversation and had apparently not noticed the noise from the battle in the corridor just outside of the room. The Commander finally took something out of his bag. It was a grey box. He popped it open and there were four colored orbs inside. They were about the size of a golf ball, one was blue, one was green, one was red, and the last one was yellow. Professor Alden sighed and placed them into indents in the wall before them. There was a strange cranking sound and the wall moved, revealing a pathway. The two proceeded down the pathway and the trainers followed closely behind.

"You're kidding," the commander said, looking around the room at all of the ancient carvings on the wall. "There's nothing here…What a waste of time. I guess we should head out…"

"Not so fast, Team Magma! Let Professor Alden go _now_!" Eziray exclaimed suddenly, standing up.

"Eziray…" Aiden said with a sigh as he slapped himself in the forehead. "He was just leaving…"

"Really? When did he say that?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"Just now," Lyla and Aiden said in unison.

"Oh…"

"How irritating," the commander said. "But we really must be going right now. This is your only warning. Do not try to interfere with our affairs again. Do you understand? Because if there is a next time, I will show no mercy."

And with that, he left the room with his Houndoom.

"Do you think he's going to change his mind about having mercy on us when he finds Mudkip's little surprises?" Lyla asked as soon as he was gone.

"I don't think it'll faze him very much. Houndoom is a fire type. He can defrost them no problem," Aiden said.

"Professor Alden, are you alright?" Eziray asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Thank you very much for your concern. You trainers are very brave."

"Aw shucks," Lyla said, kicking at the ground.

"But I noticed something that that Team Magma member didn't," Professor Alden said and walked over to the wall at the back of the room. Just below an ancient carving, there were four more indents. "I wonder…"

Professor Alden then walked over to the door of the room that the orbs had opened and popped them back out. The trainers watched curiously as he carried them back over to the four indents under the ancient carving and popped them into place. The orbs began to glow and Professor Alden smiled, noting that he knew there was more to these ruins other than ancient carvings. A door opened, revealing a staircase leading down somewhere. He turned back to the trainers and smiled.

"You're welcome to come down with me. I could use Charmander's light anyway. I'm not really sure how dark it is down there."

"We'd love to come!" Eziray exclaimed excitedly, racing forward to explore the ruins.

"Muh-hud-kip!" Mudkip exclaimed, chasing after her.

"Wuh? Mudkip? AGAIN?" Lyla said angrily when she realized that he had popped out of his ball again when she wasn't paying attention.

"M'lady," Aiden said, holding out his arm. Lyla giggled and linked arms with him as they walked down the staircase to catch up with the others.

The staircase led them down to a room with a beautiful little lake and Eziray was too mystified by it to notice Lyla and Aiden linking arms. Mudkip hopped up and down excitedly before dashing forward and leaping into the water.

"Jeez, Mudkip! How could you have so much energy after taking such a thrashing back there?" Lyla asked with a sigh.

"That means he's going to be really strong someday!" Eziray exclaimed, turning to her and noticing that the two's arms were linked. The two dropped their arms immediately and looked at the ground. "AWWW! Is there something that you two would like to share?"

"No, no, it's nothing!" Lyla said, blushing slightly as Aiden grinned and nonchalantly scratched the back of his head.

"Mud!" Mudkip cried suddenly. Everyone looked at him and Lyla asked what was wrong. Mudkip looked around nervously and Lyla was about to ask again when suddenly a rocky fish Pokémon leaped out of the water and over Mudkip's head.

"What on Earth was that?" Aiden asked.

"It's the ancient Pokémon, Relicanth!" Professor Alden exclaimed. "Rumor has it that they still thrive down here but no one was ever able to prove it! Until now! I'm so thrilled, you wouldn't believe it! This is just absolutely amazing!"

"Look! The whole lake's full of 'em!" Lyla exclaimed, pointing to the lake as dozens more surfaced.

Mudkip eventually decided that these strange Pokémon would make excellent stepping stones and hopped from Relicanth to Relicanth back to the shore.

"What are you up to, trouble-maker?" Lyla asked, bending down to pet him. Mudkip cheered happily and squirted her in the face a little. As Lyla shook him and scolded him, Skitty perked her ears and looked up the staircase. Aiden was the only one to notice.

"What's up Skitty?" he asked. "You've been pretty quiet; is there something wrong? Can you sense anything unusual?"

She hesitated for a moment and looked up at him to shake her head 'no.' He shrugged and proceeded to the lake to examine the ancient Pokémon. Skitty waited for a moment and looked back towards the staircase with a somewhat worried expression.

"Are they poisonous?" Lyla asked, reaching out to touch one.

"Nah, but their powerful jaw could snap your arm off!" Professor Alden warned. Lyla jerked her arm back immediately and shrieked, so he laughed heartily and said, "No, I'm sorry! I was only joking!"

"It's okay," she said, having completely lost any interest in touching one now. Eziray, on the other hand, was already in the water, swimming with them.

"Can I catch one?" she asked, wrapping her arms around one.

"I think you should leave them be, Ez. This is like their haven, you know?" Aiden replied.

"You're riiight," she said with a sigh. Then her face lit up and she suddenly jumped out of the water. "Then let's head on over to Petalburg and get my first gym badge!"

"We can never just sit and enjoy a beautiful moment like this, can we?" Aiden joked, following Eziray back to the staircase. Lyla giggled, returned Mudkip to his ball, picked up Skitty, and turned to follow them.

"Wait. You coming, Professor Alden?" she asked, turning back to the archeologist.

"No, that's okay. I'd like to study the Relicanth a while longer. You go ahead. Oh and thanks again for trying to help me out back there!"

"No problem! Good luck with your studies!" Lyla exclaimed, racing up the stairs. The others waved at him and ran up after her.

They exited the ruins and were a little disappointed to find that the sun was already setting. Aiden suggested that they just head over to the Pokémon Center in Oldale Town and stay the night for free. Mudkip needed to see a doctor anyway and the other Pokémon were probably tired from battling as well, so Eziray and Lyla agreed.

They headed straight for the Pokémon Center and once they checked in, Nurse Joy showed them to their room which had two sets of bunk beds. Lyla and Skitty took one of the top bunks, Eziray took one beneath it and Aiden took the other bottom bunk with Espeon. All of the other Pokémon rested in one of the other rooms and Nurse Joy tended to Mudkip's wounds.

Lyla had trouble getting to sleep that night; for some reason, she was really worried about Mudkip, so she finally hopped out of bed and went to go check on him. She found him sprawled out across the little bed, all wrapped up in bandages and sleeping like a baby. She sighed with relief and smiled before returning back to her room to find Skitty standing on the window ceil, staring outside with a very alarmed expression on her face.

"Is there something out there, Skitty?" Lyla asked, rushing to the window to see what Skitty was looking at. Skitty meowed and hopped back up to the bed, acting as if nothing was wrong. Lyla stared out the window for a moment, searching for anything out of the ordinary. She couldn't find anything so she sighed and went back to bed. Ten minutes passed and she had fallen asleep but Skitty was still half awake. She was in that state when one's mind begins to wander as they fall asleep and she suddenly heard a voice:

"Don't be scared, Skitty. I promise I'm a friend!"

**Author Notes:**

First off, I wanna say that the ruins in this chapter actually do exist in the anime (and this whole event with Team Magma and Professor Alden actually did happen in the anime), but they're not exactly like the ones I described here. I just figured that closed off rooms and corridors would work better with what I was trying to do. Second, I do realize that giving Skitty an Everstone would be pointless because she needs a stone to actually evolve, but Lyla doesn't know that yet obviously. And finally, Mudkip. Stories just aren't interesting without a trouble-maker, right? He's fun to work with and I think he's my favorite Pokémon so far. I hope you liked this chapter! Please be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think!


	4. CH 4 The Stalker

**Chapter 4: The Stalker**

Skitty awoke pretty early the next morning, convinced that what she had heard the night before was just her mind playing tricks on her. She looked at her trainer who was still asleep, wiggled out of her arms, and then hopped down onto the floor in search of food.

"Oh? I thought I heard a bell jingling. You're quite cute!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as Skitty wandered into the room where all of the other Pokémon were. All except Mudkip were awake and eating breakfast so Nurse Joy set down a bowl of food for Skitty too. As the aroma of food filled the room, Mudkip's nose twitched and he finally awoke from his slumber to be fed.

"There you are, Skitty," Lyla said as she and Aiden walked into the room. Espeon was following behind them and Aiden had his guitar with him.

"My goodness! Those two are going to eat me out of a house and home!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips as she observed Torchic and Mudkip devour their second meals.

"Hehe, sorry about that," Lyla said, rubbing her nose a little.

"It's fine. I've just never seen a Torchic or Mudkip with such big appetites. You sure have a lot to handle!"

Aiden took a seat in a chair in the corner and set the guitar in his lap. Espeon curled up by his feet as he played and Nurse Joy offered her some food. She simply stared back at the nurse arrogantly.

"I am not very hungry right now. Thank you," the Psychic-type said to the nurse after a few awkwardmoments.

"Sorry, Espeon won't eat food given to her by anyone but me. She's kinda finicky…" Aiden trailed off as he began to play his guitar.

"My apologies," Espeon said, sticking her nose up in the air. "But I have a little more pride than the others…"

"I understand," Nurse Joy said. Embarrassed, she walked into the other room.

"You really should eat something Espeon," Aiden said, taking an apple from his bag. She sniffed it and turned her head away.

"Thank you, Aiden, but I really think I should wait. I do not wish to eat anything right now…"

Lyla smiled as the two bickered and she walked over to Mudkip who was looking great, but still covered in bandages. She stroked him as he finished up his food and burped.

"How ya feelin?" she asked. He rubbed against her happily and Skitty hopped up to get some attention too.

"His bandages can come off when you get to the Pokémon Center in Petalburg City. The Nurse Joy there will do it; I've already contacted her. Please don't let him battle between now and then. He's quite young and he slightly over-exerted himself so he needs to rest now," Nurse Joy explained to Lyla.

"Hehe, will do!" Lyla said, feeling a little guilty for Mudkip's condition.

"Alright, everyone! I have our whole day planned out!" Eziray announced, walking into the room with Charo who had gone to wake her up.

"Here we go," Aiden said as he stopped playing and sighed.

"We get some breakfast _to go_ then we head out to Route 102 again and this time we actually get to Petalburg City and then I immediately challenge and defeat Norman the gym leader, and we will conclude our day by getting a big head start to Rustboro City!"

"We gotta schedule in a visit to the Pokémon Center in Petalburg. Mudkip here's got an appointment," Lyla added.

"Aww! Is he okay?" Eziray asked, rushing over to check on him.

"Yeah, he's fine, but I can't battle with him or take the bandages off. Nurse Joy said so."

"Then we better listen! And we better start getting ready to hit the road!"

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that," Lyla said with a sigh as Eziray took her by the hand and led her to the other room to make sure that everything was all packed up and ready to go. Aiden smiled and began to play again because he already had all of his things ready. About ten minutes passed by and the girls were ready to go too. All of the Pokémon were returned to their Pokéballs, the trainers thanked Nurse Joy, and then they made their way to Route 102 once again.

"Déjà vu," Lyla muttered as they passed the 'Route 102' sign.

"I blame the Seedot," Aiden said with a chuckle.

"Mya!" Skitty groaned.

"Skitty blames Lyla!" Eziray exclaimed with a laugh.

"How was I supposed to know what Bide was? It is a pretty cool move though and I'm glad we can use it!" Lyla exclaimed and as if he knew that he was being talked about, Mudkip popped out of his ball. She sighed and added, "Now isn't that right, Mudkip?"

He cocked his head and looked up at her and she sighed, patting him on the head. Then she noticed that Skitty's ears were twitching and before she could say anything, Skitty suddenly whipped around and scanned the area nervously.

"What's wrong, Skitty?" Eziray asked.

"Mrrrraaa…" she whined, backing up.

"What are you afraid of, baby girl?" Lyla asked, bending down to pick her up. Her ears were still twitching wildly.

"She was kind of acting like this back in the ruins but not to this extent," Aiden said.

"Yeah, she did something like this last night too but I didn't see anything. Skitty is there something wrong with your ears?" Lyla asked. Skitty shook her head and hid her face in against Lyla's body. Mudkip cocked his head and looked around. It was obvious that he couldn't sense whatever Skitty was upset about. They continued to walk and Lyla whispered softly to Skitty in hopes that she would calm down. After a little while, she seemed to be better but wanted to be carried. Mudkip sighed loudly and Lyla looked down at him.

"Mud?" it said innocently, looking up at his trainer with a pleading face.

"No, Mudkip. I'm not allowed to take the bandages off. Nurse Joy will take them off when we get to Petalburg."

"Muuuuud!"

"Mudkip, I said no!"

"MUUUUUUUD!"

"Don't you want to heal and get better? We have to leave the bandages _on_!"

Mudkip sighed as if he understood and then took a deep breath that he held for a moment before blasting Lyla in the face with Water Gun. Aiden and Eziray couldn't help but laugh a little and Mudkip continued to sulk as he walked behind Lyla's heels.

"No, no. This is actually a good thing, believe it or not. Now I never have to waste time taking showers. I mean how can you ever get dirt when you're getting dowsed three to five times daily? Thank you, Mudkip. Thank you for being so efficient and conserving water. I really appreciate it," Lyla said sarcastically.

"Mud-kip," Mudkip muttered.

"And you shouldn't even be out right now anyways! Get back in your ball!" she exclaimed, holding up his Pokéball.

"He's just going to pop out again in about ten minutes anyway," Eziray said as Lyla called him back.

"Not if I wrap it in duct tape," Lyla muttered.

"Now that wouldn't be very nice!"

They turned to find Olivia standing there with a pair of sunglasses on her face. She was smiling as she took them off and tossed them to Aiden who caught them with a sigh. Then her smile faded and she continued.

"Now as I was saying, I'm assuming there's a Pokémon in there because it makes no sense to wrap an empty Pokéball in duct tape. I think that's really mean, don't you Aiden? I would never do that to an innocent little Pokémon!"

"It. Was. A. Joke," Lyla muttered as Olivia pressed up against Aiden.

"Anyways! You can always count on me, Aiden! See? I got your sunglasses back!"

"Yes, Olivia. Thank you," Aiden said, pushing her away a little.

"So. Olivia. Just out of curiosity. Why are you here? _Again_?" Lyla asked, wondering if Skitty had been freaking out because Olivia was following them.

"I should ask you the same question. You're _still_ tagging along with them? Um, stalker much? I only bump into them from time to time, but what you're doing seems pretty ridiculous to me!"

"I'm _traveling_ with them. They _invited_ me…Well actually damn near kidnapped me but that's not the point."

"How come you guys never invited _me_ to come along?"

"Because you're not even a trainer!"

"I am so, Miss Lyla! I'll show you! Jigglypuff, I'd like you to meet someone!"

Olivia tossed a Pokéball into the air and a Jigglypuff popped out.

"Only one?" Lyla asked.

"Only one! So how 'bout a one-on-one battle?" Olivia challenged.

"Skitty, are you up for it?" Lyla asked. Skitty nodded so she set her down and Skitty positioned herself.

"Alright, Jigglypuff! Use Rollout!"

Jigglypuff curled up and rolled forward but Skitty whirled around and wacked it back with her tail.

"Mya…" Skitty trailed off, not really impressed.

"Fine then, use Disable! And then pound!"

Jigglypuff's eyes began to glow blue and she held up her arms. Skitty also became outlined in blue and she found herself unable to move.

"Skitty!" Lyla exclaimed as the Jigglypuff hurried forward and smacked Skitty across the face with one of her fists.

"Now use Rollout again!"

Jigglypuff curled up once again and rolled over Skitty a few times until the effects of Disable wore off and Skitty moved out of the way. Jigglypuff came back around, however, and was rolling at her with incredible speed and power.

"I love this move because it gets stronger the more it hits!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Interesting. Skitty? Use Tackle!" Lyla exclaimed. Skitty nodded and charged forward, running into the incoming Pokémon head-on. Jigglypuff bounced back, hit a tree, flew forward, bounced off a rock, hit the ground, spun up into the air, and landed on its face. Skitty shook her head a little bit but seemed fine. Jigglypuff, on the other hand, struggled to her feet and was covered in bruises and red marks. She wasn't too thrilled about it either; she was infuriated.

"Hyper Voice!" Olivia shouted.

Jigglypuff's eyes began to glow light blue and she opened her mouth to let loose three bright blue rings that created a terrible echoing sound. The rings blasted Skitty back and the sound was too much for her to handle. She collapsed almost instantly and cried out in pain.

"Skitty, use Assist!" Lyla shouted, knowing that any one of Mudkip's moves except Tackle would help her out. Skitty opened her mouth and a white orb formed inside and from the orb, a massive Ice Beam was shot that froze both Jigglypuff and her trainer solid.

"Myaaaa," Skitty meowed happily as she stood up. She was glad that the echoing had ceased. Lyla poked the frozen Olivia in the forehead and turned to the others.

"Hey, what do you say we conveniently forget that we have a Fire Pokémon with us and get the hell out of here?" Lyla asked.

"Agreed," the other two said and they took off once again. The rest of the hike was pretty quiet; there were no more trainers, Mudkip stayed in his ball, and the only wild Pokémon they encountered were some Tailow flying high up in the sky. Route 102 brought them to a cliff over-looking a fairly large city. Eziray ran to the edge of the cliff and the others followed to enjoy the view. Eziray appeared to be scanning for something, however.

"I can't find it!" she exclaimed. "Help me find the Petalburg City Gym!"

"Don't suppose you found the Pokémon Center yet, did you? We have to stop there first, remember?" Lyla reminded.

"Oh yeah!" Eziray exclaimed. "It's there! Wait no, there…Wait, no…Is that it?"

Lyla laughed and took her by the arm.

"Come on, Ez, let's just go down there and see," she said, leading Eziray back to the road that would take them into the city. They soon found the Pokémon Center and walked in. Lyla had already let Mudkip back out of his Pokéball so Nurse Joy knew who they were as soon as they entered.

"Welcome!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "I've been expecting you!"

"I guess I'll just drop him off for a little bit," Lyla said. "My friend here is itching for a gym battle and if I don't hurry, she'll leave without me."

"That's fine!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as Mudkip hopped up onto the counter and Eziray laughed a little.

"Thank you so much!" Lyla exclaimed. "We'll be back soon!"

"Hey…do you happen to know where exactly I could find Norman's gym?" Eziray asked.

"Oh! Let me get you a map of the city," Nurse Joy said, taking out a pamphlet and a red marker. She opened the pamphlet and circled something with the marker before handing it to Eziray with a smile.

"I circled it for you. It's a blue building. You won't miss it!"

"Thanks!" Eziray exclaimed as Nurse Joy handed it to her. The gym wasn't far from there and the map brought them to a stone wall with a cement staircase running through it that led to a blue, oriental-style building with two Pokéballs and a golden crescent moon-like symbol at the top.

"You ready, Ez?" Aiden asked as they stood before it.

"You bet I am!" she exclaimed and ran up the stairs and through the large entrance. She found herself in a massive room with green walls, a wooden frame, a wooden floor, and a large dirt arena in the center of the floor. Lyla gazed around the room, in awe of it and Aiden laughed.

"That's right, you've never been in a gym before, have you?" he asked. She shook her head. Eziray was already standing in the box marked out on the arena for the challenger to stand.

"Hello?" she called out. "I'm here for a gym battle!"

A man entered the arena from the other room. He had bluish-brown hair, a red sweater with black cuffs and a black collar, blue jeans, and brown boots. Without saying anything, he positioned himself in the box on the other side of the arena. Aiden and Lyla walked over to stand and watch on the sidelines.

"You must be Norman," Eziray said with a grin.

"Yes, that would be me," Norman said with a smile. "You sure are an eager young trainer!"

"Yep! My name is Eziray and this is my first gym battle in Hoenn! I come from Pallet Town in Kanto!"

"That's far!"

"I know. So are there any rules I need to know about?"

"Yes, this will be a three-on-three match. You do have three Pokémon with you, correct?"

"Three?"

Eziray only had two Pokémon with her so she scratched her head and said that she only had two. Then she suddenly became very depressed as she said she would have to come back later then. Norman frowned.

"Well, I can't really change the rules, but I can accept your challenge. If you want the practice, we can have an unofficial one-on-one gym battle. But you will have to come back later for the badge."

"You would really do that for me?" she asked, suddenly full of enthusiasm again.

"You've come a long way! You deserve something!" he exclaimed, taking out a Pokéball.

"Thank you!" she replied, sending out Charo. He smiled and sent out a Vigoroth.

"Chaaar…" Charo trailed off, observing its terrifyingly sharp claws.

"Let's see how we should handle you," Eziray said quietly to herself as she took out her Pokédex.

"Vigoroth: The Wild Monkey Pokemon. Its heart beats at a tenfold tempo and it cannot sit still for even a moment or its stress level will rise and it will feel sick. These Pokémon are known to be incredibly fast," the dex informed.

"Okay, Charo, use Flamethrower!"

Charo opened his mouth and shot out a blast of fire but, as the Pokédex said, the Vigoroth was quite fast and dodged it with ease as Norman ordered it to use Focus Punch. Its fist began to glow brightly and it sped forward and knocked Charo back against the wall.

"Perfect. Now use Slash!" Norman ordered.

Vigoroth's claws began to glow white and it sped forward once again.

"Metal Claw!" Eziray called.

Vigoroth swung but Charo blocked himself with his own claws which were glowing silver. Vigoroth swung a few more times but Charo continued to defend himself and the claws made a clinking sound each time they struck together.

"Try Flamethrower again, now that it's close!"

Charo opened his mouth and tried once again to hit Vigoroth with Flamethrower but the Normal-type back flipped out of the way and sprinted forward, this time slashing Charo across the face successfully. Charo was knocked over and struggled to stand but Vigoroth came around and hit him with slash again, knocking him the other way. This continued for some time until Eziray ordered Charo to catch Vigoroth's arm with Fire Fang. Charo was able to latch onto Vigoroth's arm with its fiery teeth but Vigoroth flung it against a wall.

"Charo's getting whooped pretty bad," Lyla said as the Fire-type struggled to stand once again.

"Chaar," he managed, breathing heavily. Eziray frowned and so did Norman.

"I think everyone's thinking the same thing here," Aiden said. "Eziray…"

Eziray sighed and nodded.

"I think that's enough," she said. "This isn't going anywhere. If we continue, Charo's gonna need a full body cast."

"Wise decision," Norman said, calling his Vigoroth back. "It takes a good trainer to swallow their pride and call it quits though! Your Pokémon are very lucky to have you. Don't be too hard on yourself, okay? This isn't exactly a gym for beginning trainers…Well I know you're not a beginner, but you should still start with easier gyms than mine. There's a gym in Rustboro City and that's where trainers usually start, so go on out and catch another Pokémon or two and challenge Roxanne, the Rustboro City Gym Leader, first. I suggest gathering a few more badges after that too and _then_ come back here and I'll be awaiting your challenge. Sound like a plan?"

"Yup!" Eziray said, obviously not too bent out of shape about losing. "But there's one problem…"

"What's that?" he asked.

"I have no idea where Rustboro is! OH! Wait, Aiden has a map! Duh!"

"Torchic ate it," Aiden said.

"Then yes, we do have a problem," Eziray said. Norman laughed.

"You'll have to head west down Route 104 which is going to take you through Petalburg Woods and eventually lead you to Rustboro City. When you get there, you might want to go to the Devon Corporation and get yourselves a Pokénav. It's short for Pokémon Navigator, so there's a map on it and it's quite useful for travelers like yourselves."

"Hahaha! Funny thing, guys! I actually have one," Lyla said, rubbing the back of her head.

"You do?" Aiden asked.

"LET ME SEE!" Eziray exclaimed, scooping up Charo who seemed to be feeling better. Lyla took out a little orange device from her bag. It was kind of oval shaped and there was a blue circle in the center with a black spot on the top and two dark orange stripes below the blue circle. She pulled on the black spot and that half extended as a little screen popped out.

"See, here's the map," Lyla said, operating it via touch screen. "And it also has the function to identify some trainers. Ones who are registered for the Pokémon League, I guess. I've never used that function though so I don't really know how it works."

Eziray snatched it from her hand and practiced opening and closing it.

"THIS IS SO COOL!" she exclaimed.

"Well you sure are easily amused," Lyla trailed off. "I got it when I was little and everyone had one so I didn't really think it was that big of a deal…"

"We don't have anything like this in Kanto, so she's a little excited. That's all," Aiden said.

"Ah! So _you're_ from around here?" Norman asked, directing his attention to Lyla. She gasped so he laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't bite!"

"S-sorry. I've never talked to a gym leader before. Not even Flannery –"

"AH! Flannery! That's perfect. Eziray, after you have defeated Flannery, you should have acquired four badges total. Come back and challenge me then. Sorry for interrupting you, now continue."

"Um…yeah, so I grew up in Lavaridge Town. I'm actually a beginning trainer."

"So will you be challenging the Rustboro Gym as well?"

"Um, no. You and I will probably never battle. I'm a coordinator…in training…well not even that yet. Um, I'm _going to be _a coordinator!"

"And that's perfectly fine too. I wish you luck with that."

"Thanks!"

Eziray handed Lyla back her PokéNav and turned to Norman.

"Thank you so much for your help…and the battle! I promise that when I come back, we won't be thrown around so easily!"

"I'll be looking forward to it!" Norman exclaimed.

The trainers said there farewells, left the gym, and headed back to the Pokémon Center to pick up Mudkip. His bandages were off and he was sleeping peacefully on a chair in the front room. Lyla picked him up and nuzzled him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as he yawned and nuzzled her back. "Wanna go for a walk?"

She thanked Nurse Joy and let Mudkip stay out of his ball as they made their way to Route 104. And almost as soon as they set foot on the route, Skitty's ears began twitching again. This time Skitty wasn't scared and she whirled around and hissed angrily.

"Again?" Lyla asked.

"Raaaoooorrrw," Skitty meowed aggressively as she ran towards the bushes.

"Skitty, where are you going?" Lyla demanded. Skitty hissed again and the bushes began to shake a little.

"Who's there?" Lyla asked, suddenly a little scared. There was a pause and a Ralts emerged from the bushes.

"Oh, it's a Pokémon," Aiden said. The Ralts frowned and scratched the back of its head nervously. It obviously didn't mean any harm and was probably just lonely or curious and decided to follow the trainers. Lyla bent down and cocked her head and looked at Skitty who was glaring at it as if it were an enemy.

"Are you following us?" Lyla asked.

"I'm sorry!" the Ralts exclaimed, telepathically.

"It's a _Psychic_ Pokémon," Eziray noted excitedly.

"Yes…I tried to tell Skitty that I was a friend, but she just wouldn't trust me!" the Ralts exclaimed.

"So are you the reason that Skitty has been acting so strange? How long have you been following us?" Lyla asked.

"Yes. I saw you battling that Seedot but I didn't warn you about the Bide in time. Then I rushed over to see if you were okay but you were being taken away by the bad people so I followed you to the ruins to rescue you but you seemed to be okay so I've just been tagging along to make sure you don't get into any more trouble. Your Skitty is a good listener. I mean…her ears work really well! I thought I was pretty quiet but she's been sensing me this whole time. At first, she thought I was just a wild Pokémon passing through but then she got really scared when she heard the same Pokémon at the ruins because she knew at that point that I was following you guys. Then she heard me again at the Pokémon Center that night and it was the first time I tried to communicate with her. I tried increasing my distance between me and you guys on the way to Petalburg but she still sensed my presence. Then I finally decided it was time to muster up some courage and confront you…and…I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Awww! She's been like our little guardian!" Eziray exclaimed. "And it's good to know that we can count on you too Skitty!"

"Myaa!" Skitty meowed. She seemed much more relaxed now that the Ralts had explained herself.

"I find you three very interesting and I want to protect you! May I come along with you? Please? It's very lonely hiding in the bushes and not being seen or heard. I can battle! I can train and become strong! I can do anything you want! I'll go with any one of you! Just please don't let me be alone anymore…"

"Hey, Eziray. You need three Pokémon to challenge gym leaders, right? Why don't you catch her?" Lyla suggested.

"Good idea!" Eziray exclaimed, holding out an empty Pokéball. Ralts giggled and touched the center of it, so she disappeared in a red flash and the center of the ball flickered a few times. Once the flickering ceased, Eziray sent the Ralts back out and smiled.

"What are you going to name her?" Aiden asked.

"Name?" the Ralts echoed.

"I nickname all my Pokémon," Eziray began, "It's my way of making them more…special."

"I see. Well you can name me whatever you want! I'm just so happy to finally have a trainer now!"

"Hm…let's see…what would suit you?" Eziray asked and thought for a moment. Her face eventually lit up and she suggested the name 'Gracie.' The Ralts seemed to enjoy the name so Eziray smiled and scooped up the Ralts into a huge hug. Aiden laughed and walked over to stroke her on the head.

"So it's decided. From this moment on, Ralts will be known as 'Gracie,'" he said.

**Author Notes:**

I don't really have too much to say about this chapter. It's pretty self-explanatory. So, as I always say, read and review please :D


	5. CH 5 Fast and Furious

**Chapter 5: Fast and Furious**

"Alright Skitty, use DoubleSlap!"

Lyla tossed three tennis balls into the air and Skitty used DoubleSlap to juggle them. The two were off on their own in Petalburg Forest, brainstorming ideas for Pokémon Contests. The others were resting in a camp they had set up not too far from there.

"Now give 'em one final slap!"

Skitty nodded and smacked each ball back to Lyla, one-by-one. Lyla smiled and caught the first two no problem, but when Skitty hit the third ball, her tail flashed and the ball flew all the way over Lyla's head.

"Skitty?" Lyla asked. Skitty looked at her tail and noticed it glowing now. They both gasped and ran back to tell the others. By the time they got there, however. The glowing had subsided.

"You two look flustered," Aiden said with a smile. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Skitty was using DoubleSlap and then her tail started to glow!" Lyla exclaimed. "…Where's Eziray?"

"She said that, since you were off to train, she should head off and train too. Who knows where she is now…"

"So it's just you and me now?"

"And Skitty. Oh and about her tail, she's probably developing Iron Tail. Does she use her tail a lot?"

Flashbacks raced through Lyla's mind of Skitty helping her with various chores around the house and always using her tail to carry brooms, buckets, dustpans and so on. She also remembered how she used to play catch with Skitty and Skitty would always hit the ball back with her tail. Then she suddenly realized that Skitty used her tail for just about everything.

"Uh…yeah, she uses it a lot. Actually, I'd say she uses it religiously," Lyla said after a few moments of thinking.

"Well, she has a really strong tail then. Just keep working it out and she'll probably be able to use the move Iron Tail in no time!"

"What do you mean by _working it out_?"

"I'll show you."

Aiden picked up a stone from the ground and tied it to Skitty's tail with some discarded fishing line. Then he instructed her to lift her tail up and down as if she were lifting weights. Skitty nodded and obeyed, a bit irritated with the thing dangling from her tail.

"Don't stop for at least ten minutes Skitty," Aiden said, taking a seat on a large, flat rock. Then he patted the empty space next to him. "Mademoiselle?"

Lyla blushed a little and sat down next to him.

"If we're going to be traveling together, I think we should get to know each other a little, don't you agree?"

"Sure," she replied, shyly.

"So tell me about Skitty. How'd you meet her?"

Lyla closed her eyes and thought for a moment, trying to remember the night they had met.

"_Lyla?" a woman asked. She was standing in front of the window of a flower shop, gazing into the rainy night sky._

"_Hm?" Lyla asked. She was sitting at a table, arranging flowers in a vase. She was six years old at the time and wearing a bright yellow apron that was much too big for her._

"_Could you please go make that delivery before this rain gets any worse?"_

"_But…"_

"_I really need your help, baby. I have to close up shop. Get your coat. The order is on the front table next to the door; you remember where to take it, correct?"_

"_Yes mother," Lyla said bitterly, taking her coat from a hook on the wall and throwing it on over her apron. She was very lazy back then and her mother always had to nag until she was blue in the face in order to get Lyla to do anything. She never yelled, however, because she knew that Lyla was still just a child and it was very typical behavior._

"_I'll be back," Lyla said, taking the bouquet and walking out into the rain._

"_You know, you wouldn't have to go out into the rain if you had only done it earlier like I had asked! Lyla, why can't you just do what I tell you when I tell you? It would make both of our lives so much easier. And it's not like I'm interrupting you or anything because all you ever do is sit around all day. You never go out and play with your friends. Do you even have any friends? Are you even listening to me?"_

"_Ya, ya."_

"_Lyla…Please be careful!" her mother called as the door slammed shut behind her daughter._

_Lyla took her sweet time with the delivery, practically dragging the roses across the ground. Whenever she saw a puddle, she would get excited and jump into it, but that got pretty boring after a while so she stopped and just continued walking. Her destination was all the way across town. The delivery was for an old woman who was very kind and gave Lyla a pretty generous tip. As Lyla headed back to the store, she counted her money with a rather large grin on her face until she accidentally tripped and landed face-first in a puddle of mud because she wasn't looking._

"_Owww," she said, sitting up and wiping the mud from her eyes._

"_MYAAAA!" _

"_Huh?"_

_A Skitty suddenly rushed past her, soaking wet and covered in wounds. Before she could react, a semicircle of growling Poochyena was suddenly closing in around her._

"_N-nice doggies," she said, standing up slowly as the group of Poochyena slowly circled around her. Suddenly, one of them snarled and lunged forward. She screamed but before it could get to her, the Skitty came back and knocked it away from Lyla with Tackle. The group retaliated by charging forward to gang up on the Skitty but she was able to keep them away from her by smacking them around with her tail. They proved to be too much for her, however, and one of them was eventually successful in sinking its fangs into her neck. She cried out and Lyla, without thinking, rushed forward and kicked the Poochyena in the side so it released and fled, whimpering._

"_GO AWAY, ALL OF YOU!" she shouted, snatching up the Skitty before the Poochyena could attack it again. The rest of the Poochyena growled dominantly as they backed away and followed after their friend to see if he was okay._

"_Meehh…" Skitty cried, weakly._

"_You saved me…so I'm gonna save you too, hold on!"_

_Lyla sprinted to the Pokémon Center and plopped the dripping wet Skitty down onto the counter and Nurse Joy seemed shocked._

"_I found her, you have to help her!" Lyla pleaded._

"_Alright, alright, I'm sure she will be fine, sweetie. You definitely came to the right place…is something else wrong?"_

"_Can I use your phone? I need to tell my mom where I am…"_

"_Sure thing!"_

_As Nurse Joy tended to the Skitty, Lyla called her mother and explained everything that had happened. Her mother sighed and said that she was just glad Lyla was okay and that she'd be over soon to take her home. Lyla refused to go home when her mother got there, however. Instead, she sat in a chair beside Skitty all night long. She drifted off at one point and fell asleep, resting her head on Skitty's bed. She awoke the next morning to the nuzzling of a soft, pink Pokémon who was purring passionately._

"_Are you okay?" Lyla asked sleepily._

"_Mya!"_

"_That's good. Thank you for saving me last night…"_

_The Skitty said 'you're welcome' by brushing up against Lyla and putting her paws up against Lyla's chest so she could reach up and snuggle against Lyla's face._

"_She must be thankful for what you did for her," Nurse Joy said. Lyla picked the Pokémon up and hugged her and thanked her over and over again as it meowed happily and continued to purr. And from that moment on, the two were inseparable. _

While Lyla explained this story to Aiden, Skitty had finished her exercise and curled up in Lyla's lap to hear the story as well. Then Lyla asked how Aiden met his first Pokémon.

"Ah, it was nothing special like your story. I was ten years old, it was time to start my journey, and my dad gave me an Eevee. The Eevee and I became very close and one day, she evolved. Eevee's a very special Pokémon. Do you know anything about them?"

"No, Eevee isn't native to Hoenn so I know very little about them."

"Well, when Eevee evolves, it can evolve into one of seven evolutions. Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon all require a stone, but if you don't use a stone and the Pokémon truly loves you, it will evolve into Umbreon or Espeon, depending on the time of day. There's two other evolutions that were discovered in Sinnoh, so I don't know much about those…"

"I see," Lyla said.

"Yup…so what's with the cowboy hat?"

"That's like me asking 'what's up with the guitar?' I like it, isn't it obvious?" Lyla asked, giggling.

"I didn't mean it like it's a bad thing, I was just curious," he said, running his right index finger along the rim of her hat. When he reached the front and center, he pushed down lightly so the hat went down over her eyes.

"Stop it!" she said, laughing and pushing it back up.

"Aw, but it looked cute!" he said, pushing it down again.

"But I can't see!"

"It's okay, I won't let you run into anything," he said, taking her by the hand and standing up.

"Where are we going?" she asked, still laughing a little, as he led her through the forest.

Elsewhere in the forest, Eziray was off training on her own as Aiden had said. Well, actually, they were having lunch now. Eziray had brought along a sandwich and a canister of PokéFood and they were sitting and enjoying the quiet forest as they ate.

"Alright guys, I'd say about five more minutes and then we get back to work, huh?" Eziray said as she finished the last bite of her sandwich.

"Hey, uhm, Eziray?"

"Yes, Gracie?"

"I think those Treecko are hungry too!"

Gracie pointed up into the trees and there was a large group of Treecko sitting in them with their legs dangling over the branches. They appeared to be glaring at Eziray as well as her Pokémon.

"Treee!" one of them shouted angrily.

"He said 'Trespassers are not welcome!' Tee hee, that's silly! We're not bothering anything!" Gracie said with a giggle. The Treecko did not enjoy being laughed at so he broke a rather large twig off the tree and hurled it at the insolent little Ralts.

"Hey, that was mean!" Gracie shouted angrily and used Confusion to lift up and fling a huge log at the rude Pokémon.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Eziray exclaimed.

"You didn't ask! I can do this too!" Gracie said, giggling wildly as she disappeared and reappeared behind the Treecko who had gotten knocked off the tree branch by the log. It was now lying on the ground, wondering what had hit him.

"Ah, so you can Teleport!" Eziray observed. Gracie nodded and held out her hand.

"I'm sorry Treecko! I don't want to fight! Do you wanna be friends instead?"

The Treecko smacked her hand away and called out to his friends. They all nodded and retreated from the area, hopping from tree to tree. The Treecko on the ground glared at Gracie once more before leaping back into the trees and speeding after his friends.

"That was weird," Eziray said, scratching her head.

"He said they'll be back, and he meant it…I could see it in his eyes," Gracie said softly.

"I take it that Treecko are very territorial…"

"I wouldn't worry about it! They appear to be all talk! I don't think they're that strong!"

"Maybe, maybe not. You can't really judge a book by its cover, Gracie…Oh well, no use dwelling on it. Let's just get back to training. Hm…Gracie, Charo, I think you two should spar. Baby, I want you to go work on your Dragon Rage!"

Baby nodded and pointed her head up into the sky and closed her eyes for a moment to focus before spitting a big puff of smoke into the air, which sent her into a coughing fit. Then she looked back at her trainer with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay!" Eziray said, reassuring the little Dratini, "Just keep trying!"

While Baby worked on Dragon Rage, Gracie and Charo positioned themselves and Eziray directed their sparring match: Charo was ordered to use Flame Thrower and then Gracie was told to use Confusion to shoot it back. So as the blast of fire came, she held up her arms and stopped it. Both her eyes and the fire began to glow blue and she threw her arms back so the fire was sent straight back to Charo who took a quick step to his left to dodge it. Next, he ran forward to use Metal Claw, but she teleported out of the way and reappeared behind him to use Confusion which sent him flying into a tree. Next, he came at her with Fire Fang, but she Teleported once again, reappeared behind him, and sent him flying with Confusion once again.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Charo!" Gracie exclaimed. "Eziray? Could he and I perhaps spar without your assistance? It just seems a little silly to me. It's like you're battling against yourself! It's not getting anywhere…"

"Good idea!"

So Eziray went over to give Baby some encouragement while keeping a close eye on the battle, in order to get a better idea of what Gracie and Charo could really do. Charo shook himself and came at Gracie with Metal Claw once again so she sighed, teleported once more, reappeared behind him and blasted him into a rock. He made several more attempts with Fire Fang but each failed the same way. Finally, he caught on and came at her with Metal Claw. As she teleported, he dug one foot into the ground so he slid around in a complete circle in the dirt and when she reappeared behind him, he was facing her and slashed her in the face with Metal Claw.

"You're too predictable, Gracie! Try switching it up! Your opponent shouldn't be able to detect you when you use that move. Now! Charo, use Metal Claw again!"

Charo nodded and came at her again. This time she teleported and reappeared to his right, but he knew she would do something like that so he spun around in the dirt while using Flamethrower so he would be able to hit her no matter which direction she came from. She landed on her back in the dirt and stood slowly.

"Better, but he's already caught on. You have to completely throw him off guard!"

Charo came at her with Fire Fang and she teleported away but this time did not reappear anywhere that was in view. Charo looked around carefully until he heard her voice.

"I'm up here!"

He looked up and Gracie was giggling, standing in a tree. Then she used Confusion to move rocks around him so that he was sealed inside.

"Checkmate!" she exclaimed, hopping down from the tree.

Then he gave her a look as if to say 'I don't think so!' and used Metal Claw to break free of the makeshift prison then whirled around and whipped her with his tail. As he readied another Flamethrower, Gracie cried out that he won. Then he put his hands on his hips and stuck his nose up into the air victoriously.

"But I _will_ win next time," Gracie said, sitting up and giggling. Charo rolled his eyes and walked over to help her up. Then he turned to Eziray with an arrogant expression on his face.

"Char, mander-mander!" he said mockingly.

Eziray glared back at him.

"Just because you won without my help doesn't mean you don't need me anymore. Stop being such a know-it-all!"

The two partners both laughed, knowing that Charo was only joking and he ran over to jump into her arms. Baby hadn't improved too much during that time, although she wasn't blowing out puffs of smoke anymore. She could now spit out small blue and red embers but they were too tiny to do any damage. Eziray decided that that was enough training for now and that she should conserve her Pokémon's strength in case the forest was harder to get through than they expected. So they decided to head back to the camp where they were a little shocked to find that Skitty was by herself, as Aiden and Lyla were nowhere to be found.

"Now where could those two be?" Eziray asked herself as she sighed and took a seat on a rock. Baby slithered over to Skitty and the two began conversing away and giggling about something.

"Those two are very good friends," Gracie observed.

"What are they saying?" Eziray asked.

"I'm not going to eaves-drop for you!"

"Alright, alright, fine! Hey, Skitty! Where's your trainer?"

Skitty looked off into the direction of where Lyla and Aiden had wandered off together and then she meowed.

"She says that Lyla and Aiden walked off together, laughing and flirting and stuff," Gracie informed.

"Those two," Eziray said with a sigh.

"Myaaa," Skitty meowed awkwardly as her ears began to twitch. She looked up and two Treecko hopped onto the tree branch above her.

"Treee-ko!" one of the Treecko shouted.

"Gracie?" Eziray asked after a few moments, waiting for a translation.

"Oh, that's the Treecko from before! He says no one gets away with throwing logs at him so he brought his big brother to teach us a lesson!"

"Why are you so bubbly about it, Gracie? That's not a good thing…"

"I'm not too concerned. They don't look that tough!"

"Tree…" the Treecko's brother mumbled quietly. He closed his eyes and suddenly vanished. Before anyone could react, a green blur suddenly whizzed by and knocked Gracie onto her back.

"He's fast!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Boy, I'll say!" Gracie whined, sitting up. The Treecko's older brother was standing beside her and readying his tail to use Pound.

"Careful, Gracie! Use Teleport!"

Gracie disappeared just in time and reappeared behind him, eyes glowing blue.

"Good! Now use Confusion!"

The Treecko became outlined in blue and was flung back into a tree. Gracie began to celebrate and praise herself for a job well done, but she then suddenly became outlined in red and fell to the ground, which revealed that the younger brother was standing behind her, holding up his arms. A red beam was emitting from each of his palms and as Gracie lost strength, he appeared to be gaining strength.

"That must be Absorb!" Eziray exclaimed as the older brother stood up and walked over to Gracie to join his brother in using Absorb as well.

"Char!" Charo shouted angrily.

"You're right, that's _not_ fair! Use Flamethrower!"

Charo blasted the younger Treecko away with Flamethrower, which caused it to take a lot of damage. The older Treecko ran to his side and whispered something to him. The younger Treecko hesitated for a moment but nodded his head and fled, limping off into the forest somewhere. The older Treecko turned back to his foes and gave them a death glare.

"Sorry, but that just wasn't fair!" Eziray reasoned. The Treecko looked from Gracie to Charo to Baby to Skitty and then raised one hand to make a 'come here' motion as if to say 'bring it on…all of you!"

"He's quite confident…" Gracie trailed off.

"Maybe a little too confident…" Eziray added. "Oh well, he asked for it! Skitty, do you wanna help us out too?"

"Mya!" she exclaimed, scampering out in front of Eziray.

"Alright, Charo use Flamethrower! Skitty, use Assist!"

Both Pokémon obeyed. The Assist turned out to be Water Gun and the two moves traveled, side-by-side, toward the Treecko. He grinned and flipped back, dodging both with ease.

"Fast _and_ agile," Eziray observed. "Skitty, use Assist again. Gracie, try to hold him still with Confusion!"

Skitty used Assist and her whole body began to glow; it was Bide. Gracie managed to hold Treecko still but he simply sneered at her and rapid-fire some explosive seeds from his mouth, pelting Gracie in the head.

"Ouch! That's Bullet Seed, and it sure does hurt," Gracie whined as she rubbed her head and released her hold on him.

"Sorry Gracie," Eziray said before turning to Skitty. "Bide is perfect! Charo, use Flamethrower on Skitty, but don't torch her!"

Charo nodded and blasted Skitty with Flamethrower, but not directly; he aimed it so that most of it went over her head and she absorbed the energy from the heat. After about thirty seconds, Skitty looked up and released the energy so everyone ducked as a blinding flash of light expanded over the area. When the light faded, Treecko was laying on the ground, wincing.

"Um, isn't this the part where you throw a Pokéball at it?" Gracie asked innocently.

"Huh?"

"Well, I was just thinking that his speed would be a great addition to our team, don't you agree?"

"I suppose! Alright, Pokéball, go!" Eziray exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball at the fallen Treecko. The Pokéball rocked a few times, but then suddenly broke open and the Treecko popped out, barely managing to stand.

"Treecko!" it shouted angrily, extending both arms. A red beam was released from each of his palms and one hit Skitty while the other hit Charo, so he was able to suck energy from both of them and recover much quicker.

"Stubborn, ain't he?" Eziray asked with a sigh.

"Chaar…" Charo managed.

"I think Charo has a plan! He wants Skitty to keep using Assist!" Gracie exclaimed.

Eziray nodded and ordered Skitty to use Assist. It was Water Gun again and Treecko had to cease his attack in order to dodge it. Charo said something and Gracie told Eziray that everyone else needed to hold tight while Skitty used Assist. Eziray seemed confused but she believed in Charo and ordered Skitty to keep it up. The next few attacks resulted in Bide, a few more Water Gun attacks, Tackle and then finally Ice Beam. Treecko was able to dodge all of them with ease, but when the Ice Beam came, Charo used Flamethrower to block Treecko's path. Charo had been studying Treecko's movement and knew just where to aim. Treecko became trapped in between the two moves but managed to avoid damage from both. Once they ceased, however, he realized that his foot had been frozen to the ground by the Ice Beam and he began to jerk his leg in an attempt to break free.

"Oh, I see! Well done Charo! I can take it from here! Baby, use Wrap!"

Treecko successfully broke his foot loose finally but Baby was already coiled around him, squeezing him with her body. He struggled to break free but she was stronger than him. Eziray grinned and ordered her to use Thunderwave. She closed her eyes and without releasing her grip, shocked him thoroughly and paralyzed him. Then she released her grip and slithered away.

"Alright, who should finish this off…Skitty? Would you like to do the honors?"

Skitty nodded and charged forward, hitting Treecko directly in the chest with Tackle. Treecko fell down and didn't get back up, so Eziray went ahead and threw another empty Pokéball at him. This time, he didn't break free.

"Ah, what a great battle! He sure put up a fight, but it's all over now!"

Eziray walked forward and picked up the Pokéball, then let him back out. He crossed his arms and looked her over, wondering if his new trainer was powerful enough for him. He shrugged and seemed pretty satisfied.

"Let's see…what should we name you?" Eziray asked out loud. He cocked his head as she thought and then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it!"

Before she could share her idea, they began to hear a rumbling in the distance and as it grew closer, they realized that it was the sound of a large group of Pokémon jumping through the trees. Eziray realized that the other Treecko must be back for revenge. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by Treecko, a much larger group than before, and they looked like they meant business. One stepped forward and began to shout something at Eziray.

"He says that we're very formidable opponents and he had a feeling that his brother might fail so he brought his whole family of reinforcements!"

"There's so many!" Eziray exclaimed.

"We can take em!" Gracie bellowed with much optimism.

About an hour later, Lyla and Aiden came stumbling back into camp to find it almost completely destroyed. The pots and pans were scattered everywhere, the tents were collapsed, the supplies was all strewn about, and the surrounding trees were all broken or charred or both. Eziray, Charo, Baby, Gracie, Skitty and a Treecko were sprawled out on the ground, obviously quite exhausted. Eziray noticed them and sat up.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" she demanded, also noticing that Aiden was wearing Lyla's hat for some strange reason.

"Um…" Lyla began but Eziray didn't even let her explain. She wasn't angry, just slightly annoyed but obviously excited to tell her story.

"First of all, why is _he_ wearing _your _hat? Actually, never mind. I don't even want to know. Second, while you were gone, we were _attacked_ by a large group of Treecko. I mean there were hundreds of these guys and it would have been really nice to have had a hand in taking them all out! But no, instead you were out gallivanting in the forest somewhere, doing who knows what!"

"Relax, we weren't doing anything bad! Aiden found some really pretty flowers that he wanted to show me!"

"Flowers…"

"Yes, flowers," Aiden said.

"You mean to tell me that you were out for hours, looking at _flowers _while I was dealing with an army of oversized grass geckos…"

"So did you catch one of those Treecko?" Lyla asked in an attempt to change the subject. Eziray looked down by her side and the Treecko looked back up at her. She smiled.

"I did, actually. You guys, I'd like you to meet Speedy!"

"Mya mya!" Skitty exclaimed, running to her trainer's side as Lyla made her way towards the new teammate.

"Aw did you help too, Skitty?" she asked. Skitty purred and rubbed all over her trainer's legs.

"Yup! I couldn't have caught him without her! She helped take out that army too! Huh, Speedy?"

"Speedy, huh? How fast are you?" Lyla asked, bending down next to him. He grinned and raced off; creating a small gust of wind that blew Lyla's hair back for a few moments. He returned in no time with a blue and gold flower that kind of resembled a lily and he stuck it in Lyla's hair, just above her ear.

"That's one of the flowers we were talking about," Aiden said as he took off Lyla's hat and put it back on her head.

"Sun's going down soon, are we staying here for the night or proceeding through the forest a little more?" Lyla asked.

"I think we should just stay. I'm too tired to go anywhere right now," Eziray suggested.

"Were there really that many?" Lyla questioned.

"_Hundreds_."

"Eziray, I don't think there's enough shelter and resources in this forest to house even a hundred. I'm sure there were about thirty or so and it just seemed like a lot," Aiden reasoned.

"Whatever you say!"

"Well is there anything you want us to do to make it up to you?" Aiden asked.

"Yeah! How about we clean this camp up while you relax? You look exhausted!" Lyla exclaimed. Eziray smiled and lied back down on the ground.

"Agreed."

**Author Notes:**

Aiden has a Torchic and Lyla has a Mudkip, so I had to give Eziray a Treecko! Plus I wanted to satisfy my beta's obsession with lizards and reptiles and what not. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the little bit of background I gave to Lyla and Skitty. Please be sure to leave a review if you enjoyed it!


	6. CH 6 It's Like a Quest, Man!

**Chapter 6: It's Like…a Quest, Man!**

"MYAAA!" Skitty exclaimed, flipping in the air and whacking Mudkip across the forehead with her tail.

"I don't understand why I can't get it to glow like it did yesterday," Lyla said with her arms crossed. "We've been working out her tail all morning."

"Patience is virtue," Aiden replied as Mudkip drenched Skitty down from head to foot. He then turned to Aiden and Lyla, cheered happily and shot a Water Gun in their direction as well.

"Now that is enough of that!" Espeon exclaimed as she used Psychic to stop the attack in its tracks. "Why must you behave like such a little heathen?"

"Muuuuud," Mudkip said, sticking his tongue out at the Psychic Pokémon.

"Mudkip, return!" Lyla called and she returned him to his Pokéball.

"That's clever," Aiden said. Lyla turned her head to see what he was talking about and saw Skitty with her tail wrapped around a tree branch; she was pulling herself up and down with her tail.

"You must really want to learn this move, huh Skitty?" Lyla called out to her. Skitty paused for a moment to nod and continued.

"It's not always easy for Pokémon to learn new moves. You just have to keep working on it," Aiden said.

"Hopefully she'll have it down by her first contest. I could definitely use it…Oh wow, what does Eziray have?"

Eziray was fast approaching, with a wide grin on her face and her hands cupped around something.

"Lyla, you're the Hoenn native! What's this?" she asked excitedly, as she joined the other two trainers. She held out her hands to reveal a pair of mushrooms.

"I-I don't know. Don't eat them," Lyla answered.

"Aw, those are Tiny Mushrooms, man!" a voice said. They turned around to find a very tall man standing there. He had long, wavy blond hair that fell to his hips and appeared as if it had never been brushed out before. There was a brown headband wrapped around the top of his head to keep the hair out of his face and a peace sign medallion around his neck. His beard was surprisingly short, but at least he kept that maintained; it was nothing more than mere stubble. He was wearing a pair of cheap sunglasses, long brown pants, brown flip-flops and a tie-dyed t-shirt.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have just discovered the missing link…" Lyla trailed off as she lifted Skitty from the ground and held her in her arms. Skitty was very alarmed by the man and had come down from the tree almost immediately.

"Lyla, be nice!" Eziray said under breath.

"Well who invited the tree hugger?"

"Lyla!"

"Hey, it's cool man. I see how it is," the man said. "Anyway, these are good eatin' here. You should try one!"

"No thanks," Eziray said. "You can have them…"

"Right on! Thanks, man!" The hippie replied as he hastily popped the Tiny Mushrooms into his mouth.

"Don't…mention it…"

"Hey buddy, the sixties just called. They said –" Lyla began but Eziray jumped over and put her hand across Lyla's mouth.

"LYLA!"

Lyla burst out laughing and then walked over to the hippie with her hand held out.

"Sorry, I don't really mean it. I've got nothing against you. I'm a nature-lover myself. But just looking at you, I couldn't resist!"

"Right on!" he exclaimed, shaking her hand.

"My name's Lyla by the way!"

"Cool, man! You can just call me Free Bird. Welcome to my forest!"

"…_Your_ forest?"

"Yeah, man! I built it with, like…my own two hands!" he exclaimed as he held up his hands and then paused for a moment to stare at them as if he had never seen them before.

"Excuse me? Um, I'm confused. Better yet, _you're_ confused. Eat a few too many Tiny Mushrooms there, dude?"

"Let's go," Aiden said, taking Lyla by the arm and leading her away.

"Oh, come on guys! He's harmless!" Eziray exclaimed as the two retreated quickly and Espeon followed after. "Sorry about my friends. They apparently don't have any manners today. My name's Eziray! Are you a trainer?"

"Trainer? No. I say let the Pokémon be free, man. I like, live here…among the Pokémon and stuff…man…"

"So I suppose you don't really want to be talking to me then, huh? I'm a trainer myself."

"Naw, it's cool man. You're, like, following your dreams and stuff. Right?"

"Yep! I'm going to be the Pokémon League Champion of Hoenn someday!"

"Right on!" he exclaimed, taking a seat in the dirt. Eziray joined him, leaving a little space in between them, mostly because he didn't smell too great. "I have a dream too, but it's not that huge."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well when I was a kid, I lived in Petalburg City and my granddaddy always told me stories about a garden, man."

"A garden?"

"Yeah, somewhere in Petalburg Forest, it's a beautiful place filled with green grass and berry bushes and a small lake and all the Tiny Mushrooms you could eat, man! Sounds like heaven, right? Well that's not even like the best part! It's, like, a sanctuary to Wurmple and their family and stuff, man. Dustox and Beautifly go there to breed, Silcoon and Cascoon go there to evolve, and Wurmple are hatched there!"

"Sounds beautiful!"

"And like, totally peaceful and stuff, man! But everyone said it was just some myth created to explain why no one ever saw these events take place naturally in Petalburg Forest. I don't know about you, but I believe in it man. I believe in it, and I will find it someday! I swore that ten years ago…when I was ten. That's why I live here."

"Well then!" Eziray exclaimed, standing up. "Today's your lucky day because I'm not doing anything, and I'm willing to help you find this Wurmple Garden!"

"Right on, man! But I don't think it's gonna happen. Did you not just hear me say I've been searching for, like, ten years? How do you expect to find it in one day?"

"Dude! Of course you're not gonna find it if you try to search every nook and cranny of this place! It's a huge forest and there are so many places where it could be!"

"Well how do _you _expect to find it?"

"By being a little resourceful!" she exclaimed, looking around. "Like this! Excuse me! Excuse me! Hi, yes! Do you happen to know where the Wurmple Garden is?"

There was a Tailow perched on the branch and as he began to speak, Eziray sent out Gracie to translate. Gracie listened attentively to what the Tailow had to say and then it flew away. Gracie looked up at her trainer and frowned.

"He said he has no idea…"

"Really? He was talking for a long time, what else did he have to say?"

"Well, um…he said that even he knows it's a children's fable and that you're very foolish to be pursuing this dream. He says to just give up or you'll get lost in the forest somewhere and no one will ever find you…"

"He's lyin' man! I know it's here and he knows it too. They wanna hide it from us, man. BUT YE AINT FOOLIN' ME!" Free Bird shouted, shaking his fist in the air where the Tailow had been.

"Maybe we'd have better luck asking a Wurmple where it was born!" Gracie suggested.

"Good idea, Gracie!" Eziray exclaimed. "Come on, Free Bird! Let's go find a Wurmple."

Back at the camp, Lyla happened to be applying a small bandage to a wound on a Wurmple's head. Its eyes were welling with tears and she was trying to be as gentle as possible. Mudkip was sitting next to her, pouting. He had a rather large bump on his head because his trainer had wacked him over the head with one of her steel-toed boots.

"There you go, Wurmple. I'm really sorry about that, and Mudkip is too! Right, Mudkip?"

"Muuuuuuud," he sulked. The little water Pokémon turned his head away, basically ignoring his trainer.

"MUDKIP! APOLOGIZE!" she ordered as she gritted her teeth. He simply rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at the Bug Pokémon, so Lyla grabbed him and shook him violently.

"The forest Pokémon are _not _your target practice. This poor Wurmple was just climbing a tree and minding its own business. You had no right to do that so _apologize now_!"

"Take it easy!" Aiden said as he laughed hysterically. "He's only being himself!"

"You should _not_ encourage him, Aiden," Espeon muttered.

"Are you hungry, Wurmple?" Lyla asked, holding out a handful of Oran Berries. It sniffed them for a moment and then began to devour them happily.

"Wuuuurr!" it cried out happily.

"Aww, you're so cute!" she exclaimed, holding it up in the air, before bringing it in to cuddle it.

"Mudkip…" Mudkip said, still pouting.

"What do you mean we're not keeping it? Did I even mention anything about catching it? That's not even your decision anyway!"

"Kip."

"And if I wanted to catch it, I would use Skitty to battle it then."

"Kip," he complained curtly.

"What's with your attitude anyway? You're acting like a spoiled little –"

Mudkip turned his head and blasted her in the face with Water Gun, before she could finish.

"Mud. Kip," he harrumphed triumphantly.

"Mudkip, return…"

Lyla called the trouble-maker back to his ball and stroked the Wurmple's head.

"Don't worry. I think you've been through enough trauma today. I'm not going to try to catch you no matter how cute you are!"

"Incoming," Aiden said.

"A WURMPLE!" Free Bird shouted, running towards Lyla with his arms outstretched. The Wurmple screamed and sped up a nearby tree to hide and glare angrily at the strange man. Lyla put her hands on her hips.

"What the hell, _man_?" she asked, glaring up at him as he stopped next to her.

"I have a question for it," Free Bird said, bending forward to pant for a moment.

"Free Bird, that's not going to accomplish anything!" Eziray exclaimed emerging from some trees with Gracie. "Go ahead, Gracie."

"Right! Um, excuse me Wurmple? I'm sorry to have bothered you but we were just wondering if you remember where you were born. We've heard stories about a beautiful garden in this forest somewhere and we would really like to see it! We won't disturb anything and we won't tell anyone else where it is, I promise! We know it's special to you…"

"WURM-PLE!" it shouted angrily, eyes welling with tears again.

"I know you're upset and I'm really sorry for that!"

"WURM WURM WURM. PUL!" it shouted.

"He says that there is no garden and even if there was and even if it was the nice girl who had asked, he would never tell any human or their Pokémon where the garden was, no matter if they have good intentions or not. He also said that any other Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Beautifuly or Dustox would say the same. Sorry guys, but I think they're sworn to secrecy! Yup!" Gracie said, nodding.

"Thanks anyway, Gracie," Eziray said, calling Gracie back to her ball.

"A beautiful garden?" Lyla asked, standing up. The Wurmple slinked back down the tree and rushed to her so he could be petted some more. She picked him up and rubbed her face against his. "Oh please tell us where it is, Wurmple! I would love to see it! Just for a few minutes, I promise!"

"Wur-wur," it said happily as she caressed it.

"'I can't, I can't, _REALLY_ I can't,'" Espeon translated.

"Pleeeeeease?" Lyla begged, kissing him on the forehead. His eyes bulged out, shaped like hearts and he began to ramble on.

"'Okay, it exists! North, north! Go north!'" Espeon translated as the Wurmple nuzzled Lyla over and over again.

"Shameless flirt," Eziray said, crossing her arms. "He's worse than you, Aiden."

"Shut up," Aiden muttered.

"Thank you, Wurmple!" Lyla exclaimed, kissing him on the forehead a bunch of times before setting him on a tree branch. "You take care of yourself now! Byeeee."

"I can't believe you just seduced a Pokémon," Eziray teased as everyone followed Lyla.

"I did nothing of the sort!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Whatever you say!" Eziray taunted with a giggle as she passed Lyla to lead the group. Everyone was pretty quiet for a while until Lyla finally decided to break the silence.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" she asked as they hiked along through the forest.

"A beautiful garden with berry bushes and green grass and a lake and Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Beautifly, and Dustox!" Eziray described.

"A…lake?" Aiden asked as he fiddled with the PokéNav.

"Yep!"

"Well then. That might be the key to finding this place."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well think about it. It could be man-made which is unlikely considering the fact that no one seems to know where this place is. It could have started off as a giant trench that eventually filled with rainwater, but again, unlikely. The precipitation in this area is too low, according to Lyla's PokéNav. So, the way I see it, there are two likely explanations. One, there's an underground spring. Two, there's a river somewhere that leads to it. Hopefully there's a river because –"

"Then we can just follow the river until we get to the garden!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Exactly."

"Come to think of it, I do know of a stream that flows through the forest. It's, like, deep in the forest, pretty far from the road, so most people don't know about it. Aw man! Are you telling me I could have found the garden years ago when I found the stream? Gnarly, man!" Free Bird said.

"Why don't you take us to that stream?" Aiden asked.

Free Bird nodded and led them off into the forest. They hiked along for about an hour, listening to Free Bird and Eziray's back-and-forth ramblings. They had to climb over dead trees, bust their way through thick brush, and even fight off wild Pokémon from time-to-time. Eventually, Aiden and Lyla began to believe that Free Bird was out of his mind but then they finally found the small river; it was about fifteen feet wide, bigger than they had imagined it to be.

"Here it is!" Free Bird exclaimed.

"We can see that," Lyla said, examining the river.

"Baby, come on out!" Eziray exclaimed, throwing her Dratini's ball up over the river. The ball opened in mid-air and the Dratini was released into the water. "Haven't been swimming in a while, have you?"

"EEE!" Baby cheered, swimming around in circles happily.

"Listen, can you swim down as far as you can and tell us how long we'll be walking?"

Dratini nodded and disappeared for about twenty minutes and then popped her head out of the water finally and murmured something to her trainer.

"She says it's not too far, everybody, come on!"

They ran along the bank of the river and the current became faster and faster until Dratini had to stop or else she would be washed away. Then she pointed her head straight and the trainers noticed that the river flowed right into a group of enormous and sturdy trees that were tightly packed together.

"A dead end," Eziray said with a disappointed sigh as Mudkip went ahead and popped out of his ball without permission once again.

"Not necessarily," Aiden said.

"Are you blind?" Eziray asked dramatically pointing at the mass of giant trees.

"Ez. Listen. Sometimes it's possible for rivers to flow underground temporarily due to changes in the terrain and the gradient of the land. In other words, that river could disappear underneath those trees and then spit right into that lake we were talking about. It looks like there's a bunch of trees clumped together if you look deeper into the forest. They're not as big as these ones, where the river supposedly ends, but it looks like they're all forming a barrier. Doesn't it? If there was a clearing behind them, it would definitely be inaccessible to humans. I mean Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon would have no trouble slipping in through the cracks, and Beautiful and Dustox can just fly in and out, but us? The only way in for us is via this river. However, there are a few risks. One, I could be wrong. The river could just end here. If that's the case, we would be crushed to a pulp against those trees if we got caught in the current. Two, I could be right but the underground river might be too narrow and we could get stuck and drown. Three, we could flow right in smoothly, but there may not be any way to get back out. If you ask me, it's not worth the risk and there ain't no way in hell I'm diving into that river…"

"Agreed," the girls said in unison.

"Bummer, man!" Free Bird said, sliding down and taking a seat on the ground.

"Well at least you know where the garden is now!" Lyla exclaimed optimistically. He simply sighed and stared into the river. Mudkip cocked his head and walked over to the river's edge, stared at his reflection for a moment, sniffed the air in the direction of the large trees, and jumped in.

"MUUUUUUUDKIIIP!" he cheered excitedly as the current carried him towards the trees.

"Mudkip!" Lyla screamed, ripping off her boots and hat and jumping in after him.

"LYLA!" Aiden and Eziray called after her.

"Espeon, hold this," Aiden said, slinging his guitar over her back and diving into the river to rescue Lyla.

"I thought you said there was no way in hell you would dive into that river!" Eziray called after him. Everyone was quiet for a few moments after the two trainers and Mudkip disappeared under the water. At the rate the current was going, they should have smashed into the trees by then, but they didn't. They just disappeared.

"Might I make a suggestion?" Espeon asked as Eziray scanned the water for her friends.

"Not now, Espeon. Baby, return!" Eziray said, calling Baby back and leaping into the water herself. Espeon sighed.

"You do not have to do that, child…"

"Wait for me, man!" Free Bird exclaimed, cannon balling into the water and splashing Skitty and Espeon.

"Come along, Skitty," Espeon began, "Grab Lyla's boots. I have a better idea. Worry not, now. They will be alright. I would be able to sense if Aiden was in danger."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tree wall…

"MUDKIP!" Mudkip exclaimed, popping his head up through the water on the other side of the trees. He looked around excitedly and sure enough, he was swimming in the middle of a tiny lake.

"Mudkip, I'm going to kill you!" Lyla said, popping up at the same time as Aiden. His arms were wrapped around her because he had tried to save her but the current was much too strong for him so he had been unable to get her back out of the river. As he let go, Lyla began to swim over to her mischievous little Water Pokémon but then noticed her surroundings and paused to stare in awe at them.

"AIDEN YOU WERE RIGHT!" Eziray shouted out happily as she and Free Bird popped up as well.

As they all treaded water in the crystal clear lake, they gazed around, mystified. The sky was a mixture of oranges and pinks, as the sun was going down, but it was still light enough to see the lush green grass that was filled with brightly colored wildflowers, the Tiny Mushrooms scattered about, and the berry bushes bordering the densely packed trees that surrounded the area. Wurmple played joyously in the grass, Silcoon and Cascoon rested peacefully in the trees, and Dustox and Beautifly fluttered about the air, humming beautiful songs to one another. As they scanned the area, they noticed Espeon lying amongst the flowers with Aiden's guitar still on her back, Lyla's boots and hat sitting next to her and Skitty standing beside them.

"Hey how did you two get in?" Lyla asked, cocking her head.

"As I was trying to tell Eziray, there is an easier way in and out of this garden. I call it teleportation," Espeon said, lifting her head and flicking her tail.

"MUD-KIIIIP!" Mudkip exclaimed happily, stating that this way had been much more fun.

"You twit," Espeon said arrogantly, laying her head back down on the ground. Mudkip squeezed his eyes shut tightly and stuck his tongue out at the Psychic-type as Lyla made her way to him and knocked him over the head with one of her fists.

"You're lucky we weren't _killed_. What's the _matter_ with you?" she demanded.

"Mud! Mud! Mud!" he whined.

"Oh come on, I didn't hit you _that _hard," she said as he continued to complain. She finally gave in, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close.

"Check this place _out_!" Eziray exclaimed as she swam towards the shore. The others followed and they all climbed out but were promptly bounded up by a rapid fire of String Shots from all of the Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Dustox, and Beautifly who were apparently very angry with the trespassers.

"Well this is certainly inconvenient," Lyla said as she tried to wiggle free.

"Hey, man! We're not here to, like, disturb you all. We just wanted to admire your garden! We'll leave now if you want!" Free Bird reasoned but the Bug Pokémon weren't even fazed by it.

"And whose idea was it to visit this garden? Cuz, if you ask me they should be eaten first," Lyla said.

"They're not gonna eat us!" Eziray declared confidently but thought for a moment and frowned. "Are they?"

"Please don't be angry! It's been my dream to see your garden practically my whole life! We're sorry!" Free Bird pleaded. The Dustox and Beautifly mulled over his words for a moment but couldn't find it in their hearts to forgive him, so they reared back for an attack.

"Well, the good news is that they're _probably_ going to blast us out of the forest and the walk to Rustboro will be shortened, right? YAY!" Lyla exclaimed. But her enthusiasm quickly faded as she realized that she couldn't fool herself; there was no bright side to this situation. Besides, knowing their luck, she figured they would be blasted back towards Petalburg rather than Rustboro. "I don't wanna die!"

Everyone prepared themselves to be blown away as they shut their eyes and turned their heads away but several moments passed and the attack didn't come so they looked back up to find a Wurmple blocking the path of any potential attacks. The Flying-Bug Pokémon held their fire and listened as the Wurmple voiced its opinion. It seemed to relax the angered Pokémon and it was obvious that they no longer had any intention of harming the trainers. The Wurmple turned and Lyla's face lit up as soon as she noticed the bandage on its head.

"Hey isn't that the Wurmple from before?" Eziray asked.

"Mhm!" Lyla exclaimed with an enthusiastic nod.

"Wur-Wurm," the Wurmple said, turning to the trainers. It began to ramble on about something and Espeon stood.

"He says that we need to evacuate the premises before the sun arises in the morning. If not, his parents will not hesitate to annihilate any of us trespassers. He recommended gathering some of the wood from that pile of debris over there and tying them all together with vines from some of the trees around here to build a raft, but I can of course use Teleport and –"

"Wait, Espeon. Build a raft? Why would we build a raft? It's not like we can just sail back the way we came…" Lyla reasoned. Espeon sighed and turned her head to her right. The lake narrowed towards the end of the area and Espeon explained that a river flowed out of the area but there was a waterfall immediately after they exited the garden, which explains why no one could enter that way. She went on to say that the river flowed on, out of Petalburg Woods, continued on past Rinshin Town and eventually dumped into the ocean. Eziray smiled.

"Rinshin Town? I thought the next stop was Rustboro City! Lyla, the PokéNav! What does it say? Is there a gym there?" she asked. Lyla took out the device and took a look at the map. She touched the screen a few times and frowned.

"No gym. It's just a small town on the way to Rustboro City. Do you guys want to stop anyway?" she asked.

"Well whatever you decide, I can take you there," Espeon reminded. Lyla frowned and looked up at Aiden.

"Aiden? Don't you think it would be fun to go river-rafting?" she asked innocently.

"MYA!" Skitty hissed in objection as Mudkip cheered out excitedly.

"Do you want to?" he asked. Lyla smiled and clasped her hands together.

"Please, please, please?" she begged.

"No, no, one thousand times, _no_," Espeon said. "We've had enough adventure for one day, don't you think?"

"Hey, you heard the lady, Espeon," Aiden began, "If river-rafting's what she wants, it's what she's gonna get, okay? I think it sounds fun too, and Eziray, well…Eziray thinks everything is fun, so I say we do it!"

Espeon was obviously offended and looked away angrily, but Aiden smiled and made his way to the pile of debris as the Bug-types dispersed, still keeping a sharp eye on the intruders. Lyla skipped along behind him and they both lifted some logs from the pile.

"Yea, you guys take care of the logs, and we'll take care of the ropes! Charo let's go!" Eziray exclaimed, sending out her Charmander. "Use Metal Claw on those vines!"

Charo nodded and dashed over to the trees, using Metal Claw to cut down as many vines as he could. Eziray gathered them and carried them over to Aiden and Lyla who were arranging logs on the ground. Free Bird had been kneeling beside the water ever since the Bug Pokémon decided to leave them alone. Lyla looked up at him angrily as Aiden began tying logs together.

"Hey, Free Bird, since we helped you get here, could you please help us leave?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. Yeah, man, I'll help. But I'm not going with you…"

"What? Why not? These Bug Pokémon want to be left in peace."

"I know that. But maybe I can warm up to them a bit, you know? If it doesn't work, I'll find a way out. Don't worry about me, man. I'll be okay," he explained as he assisted Aiden.

The construction of the raft took less than fifteen minutes and they carefully pushed it into the lake together once it was finished.

"Hey man, the Pokémon said we could stay the night. Are you leaving already?" Free Bird asked gloomily.

"Yeah," Aiden replied. "We obviously aren't wanted here so we don't want to overstay our welcome."

"Besides," Eziray added, "just getting a chance to see this beautiful garden is more than I hoped for when we started!"

"Yeah man! I guess your right!" Free Bird exclaimed with a laugh.

"Well, Free Bird, it was nice meeting you, but we really outta be going now!" Lyla exclaimed as she put on her boots and her hat and hopped aboard.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, Lyla…" Aiden trailed off, staring at the lake with a frustrated expression.

"What?" she asked, sitting down.

"There's no current. How is the raft supposed to move? There's a little wind but we didn't build a sail…"

"Well, then Baby can just push the raft towards the waterfall!" Eziray suggested, pulling out a Pokéball but Mudkip objected.

"No, Mudkip!" Lyla scolded as Aiden and Eziray called back their Pokémon and loaded onto the raft. Skitty frowned and was very reluctant to join them.

"Myaaaa…" she cried.

"See, Mudkip? Skitty's scared! We need Baby to do it because she'll be gentler, so stop pouting!" Lyla reasoned.

"MUD!" he replied angrily, running and leaping into the water. He didn't come back up so Lyla shrugged.

"Fine then. Throw a tantrum. We'll just leave without you," she said calmly as Eziray sent out Baby. They waited a few moments and Mudkip was still hiding underwater so they decided to press on, knowing that Mudkip would follow. They bid farewell to Free Bird and the Bug Pokémon once more and pushed off from the embankment. As they neared the waterfall, Lyla blew a kiss to the Wurmple with the bandage on its head and it blushed for a moment before gasping with shock. Lyla frowned and looked behind her to see what he it was so alarmed about. Mudkip was fast-approaching.

"Oh no…" Aiden trailed off.

"Mudkip, N-"

Before Lyla could finish, Mudkip leapt out of the water and slammed into the side of the raft, sending it flying. He had somehow succeeded to cling onto it and cheered out with joy as the raft flew clear over the waterfall. Lyla held onto Skitty tightly for a moment as they seemed to pause for a moment in mid-air before falling straight down with a large splash. The current was strong at the bottom so they were immediately being washed down the river at an extremely fast pace. It was a rough ride but they were lucky to not flip over. Mudkip enjoyed every second of it as everyone else screamed for their dear lives. He especially loved the part when the raft began to rotate as washed down the river. The river took them out of the forest where the it widened and the current slowed down quite a bit.

"Mudkip, I'm going to kill you," Lyla said slowly, trying to catch her breath.

"Baby?" Eziray said, looking around. The Dratini popped her head out of the water and cried out happily because it was all over. She had been following the raft closely, dodging rocks and such, so she was pretty startled as well. Eziray smiled and returned her to her ball. They drifted along for a while until they saw a town in the distance, on their right.

"Here's our stop!" Eziray exclaimed. Mudkip hopped into the water and gently pushed them towards them shore.

"Oh, now you choose to behave…" Lyla muttered. Mudkip climbed up onto the embankment and the others stepped off the raft. It was dark now and the trainers were completely exhausted so they headed straight to Pokémon Center because there wasn't a hotel. Their Pokémon slept in one room where Nurse Joy fed them and checked for injuries while the trainers headed into their room and went straight to bed.

Later that night, a woman made her way through the town. If anyone had been around to see her, she would have seemed very shady. Her entire body was covered: sexy black high heels, dark black sunglasses, a purple beret, and a light grey trench coat covering everything else. Her light brown hair was the only thing that wasn't completely covered up. It was long, shiny and very beautiful; she obviously took great care of it. A Girafarig walked along by her side. As they passed the Pokémon Center, it stopped and looked into the building through the glass doors. Its eyes began to glow blue and the woman stopped and looked at a poster that was stuck to the door.

"This contest is for rookies, Girafarig…" she said, examining the poster. It was an advertisement for an unofficial Pokémon Contest that would be taking place the next day there in Rinshin Town. The Girafarig shook its head and the woman cocked hers. "I see…Come along…"

The woman continued on and the Girafarig hesitated for a moment before following after the woman.

"It appears that Girafarig has found someone interesting. Perhaps we will have some tough competition this year. Or could something else have caught her attention? Either way...I feel somewhat eager to meet this person. How strange," the woman thought to herself as they exited the town, heading towards Rustboro City.

Meanwhile, inside, all three trainers gasped simultaneously, as if something that had been starring into their souls had suddenly left.

**Author Notes:**

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been busy. Chapter 7 is about ready so it'll be up in a week! It just needs beta checking now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was certainly fun to write. Be sure to read and review!


	7. CH 7 Unofficially a Coordinator!

**Chapter 7: Unofficially a Coordinator!**

"We've almost got it now! Use Iron Tail again!" Lyla ordered enthusiastically. Skitty nodded and sprinted forward before leaping into the air and flipping back down to a log that Lyla had propped up for her. The log split in half and Skitty landed gracefully beside it, tail glowing brightly.

"Hey, they've got it down!" Eziray exclaimed. She was watching from a window inside the Pokémon Center. Aiden and Nurse Joy were also in the room.

"Well what do you know? That was quick," Aiden said.

"I wouldn't say that," Nurse Joy said. "They've been out there all morning. All I did was hand her a flyer and her face lit up and she just rushed out there all pumped up and energetic about something. They've been out training ever since."

"A flyer? What exactly did you give her?" Aiden asked. Nurse Joy walked to the front desk and brought Aiden a piece of paper. As he read over it, she explained:

"Every year, around this time, Rinshin Town holds an unofficial Pokémon Contest for coordinators who are just starting out or need more practice. There's always a prize too, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone what it is. As the judge, I need to promote it as much as possible, so I hand this advertisement out to trainers while their Pokémon are resting here."

"Hey! Does anyone know where I could buy a boomerang? Don't ask! I just need one!" Lyla exclaimed, poking her head in through the door. Everyone started at her blankly but Nurse Joy gave her directions to a nearby toy store. As soon as she left, Nurse Joy cocked her head.

"What a peculiar request…She sure is lost in her own world at the moment, isn't she?" Nurse Joy asked.

"It's her first contest. She's probably really excited or nervous or both," Aiden said.

"Ah. Well that's perfectly normal!" Nurse Joy assured.

"If you don't mind me asking, when is this contest?" Eziray asked.

"This afternoon," Aiden said, pointing it out on the paper.

"Wait, doesn't she have to sign up for it?" Eziray asked.

"She already did. There's a sign-up sheet on the front desk," Nurse Joy said, pointing to the clipboard on her desk. "I don't suppose you two would want to enter!"

"Actually no, that's not really our thing," Eziray said nervously. "We know nothing about contests!"

"Well that's a shame! Oh well, I wish your friend luck!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as she walked away.

About fifteen minutes passed by and Lyla returned. She didn't appear to have anything with her so Eziray wondered if she had found what she was looking for. She seemed a little flustered, however, so Eziray asked what was wrong.

"I was thinking and I know exactly what to do for the preliminary round with Skitty, but I'm gonna need some help. Will you and Aiden be my assistants?" Lyla asked.

"Of course!" Aiden exclaimed. Eziray agreed as well and Lyla was overjoyed.

They had a couple hours to kill before the contest so they stopped someplace to eat and wondered how Free Bird and the Wurmple Family were doing, concluding that he had probably become their slave boy and was currently catering to their every whim. After a while, Lyla stood and said it was time to get going. She didn't want to miss her first contest, even if it was unofficial.

The contest was being held in a small dirt arena near the center of the town. There was a set of bleachers for all of the spectators to sit at and an area set aside for the coordinators to stand while they were waiting. Between the bleachers and this area was a desk where Nurse Joy was sitting, organizing some papers. Lyla entered the area with the other coordinators while Aiden and Eziray stood nearby, unsure of what exactly they were going to have to do.

Nurse Joy stood, looking as if she had forgotten something and disappeared. Confused by this, the crowd began to grow restless and chattered about, wondering when the contest would begin. Everyone began to settle down, however, as soon as Nurse Joy returned to the small dirt arena with a microphone in hand. She smiled, held it up to her lips, and began to speak.

"First off, I would like to thank everyone for coming to this year's Unofficial Pokémon Contest here in Rinshin Town! We have twenty coordinators here today looking to show off their stuff. For some, this may be their very first contest and for others, they may just be polishing up for the upcoming contest in Rustboro City! Regardless of their reason for competing today, these coordinators are ready to take the stage so let's not keep them waiting any longer! First up is Gwen from Petalburg City! Give it up!"

Nurse Joy walked off of the field and took a seat at the small booth off to the side. A twelve-year old girl with strawberry blond pigtails and a short red dress took her place in the arena, sending out a Castform.

"Castform, use Weather Ball!" Gwen ordered. The Castform opened its mouth and a sphere of dull grey energy began to form. "Now use Sunny Day!"

Castform closed its eyes, without ceasing the Weather Ball, and suddenly the weather became very sunny and as soon as the sunlight fell over the Castform, its appearance changed and its head much resembled the sun. Simultaneously, the Weather Ball changed too. It became a blazing fireball with flames streaming all around it.

"Now use Hail!"

Castform concentrated for a moment and a thin fog blanketed the arena as the sunlight ceased. Small bits of ice soon began to rain down from the sky and Castform changed its form once again. It was now encased in a swirl of ice and the Weather Ball became icy blue with a frosty wind circling around it.

"And now use Rain Dance!"

It was obvious that Castform was quite worn out from this appeal but it managed to focus one last time and the Hail ceased. Instead, tiny raindrops began to fall and Castform's head appeared to be enclosed inside of a giant raindrop. The Weather Ball turned a darker shade of blue as water streamed around it. Castform tilted its head upwards, launching the ball into the sky and misting the audience with it.

"Now let's finish this up with Water Gun!"

Head still tilted upwards, Castform blasted the Weather Ball with Water Gun, creating an explosion. The rain ceased and sparkling drops of water rained down over the arena and the audience from the explosion.

"How impressive!" Nurse Joy began. "It was a wonderful appeal that showed off all of Castform's different appearances, as well as the effect of Weather Ball, in different weather situations. Give her a round of applause! She's moving on to the next round!"

The crowd cheered as Gwen called her Pokémon back and left the arena. Next up was a boy a little bit younger. He walked out onto the field, positioned himself, and kicked at the dirt nervously before sending out a Slakoth. He took a deep breath and called out his first move.

"Slakoth, use Scratch!"

"Slaaa…" the Pokémon said sleepily, scratching its head.

"Uh…uh, not what I meant! Use…"

"Kooooooooh," the lazy Pokémon said, mouth wide open in a deep yawn.

"Yeah! Yawn's good! Um…Focus Punch!"

The Slakoth lifted its fist and stared blankly at it for a moment. Then it scratched at the dirt for a moment as a snot bubble expanded from its nose and popped. Lyla winced, feeling pretty bad for the poor boy. Then the Normal-type laid flat on its back and stared into the sky. The boy was in a panic now.

"Come on Slakoth! USE HIDDEN POWER!"

Slakoth closed its eyes and began to snore loudly. There was a pause as everyone in the audience shifted uncomfortably. They all felt sorry for the poor, naïve little boy. Even Nurse Joy didn't have the heart to tell him to leave the stage. Luckily, he took the hint, called his Pokémon back, and quietly left the arena on his own.

The rest of the appeals were just as disastrous, if not worse. A Plusle overexerted itself and knocked itself out with one Spark attack; a Wurmple got caught in its own String Shot; a Whismur threw a tantrum and left the entire audience's ears bleeding; a Zigzagoon with some serious stage fright ran away in fear; Mudkip blasted one of the coordinators away with Water Gun before the poor kid could even make an appeal (Lyla acted as if the Mudkip wasn't hers of course, so he ran off somewhere), and the list went on. The worst of them all was when a Hyper Beam was misfired, destroying half of the benches in the bleachers. Luckily, everyone sitting there evacuated before it hit them and were now standing in the empty space, wishing they had a place to sit. Eziray and Aiden were among them. And now, last but not least, it was finally Lyla's turn. She took her place on the arena and Skitty sat down obediently by her side. Eziray and Aiden stood behind her, still wondering what they were needed for.

"Ready, Skitty?"

"MYA!"

Lyla kneeled down beside her, taking a handkerchief from her pocket, and tied it around Skitty's head like a blindfold. Skitty nodded and took ten steps forward, taking her place in the center of the arena, back facing Lyla who smiled and took out a boomerang.

"Ah, she found one!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Yeah, but what's she gonna do with it?" Aiden asked. Lyla cocked her arm back and threw the boomerang straight at Skitty. Everyone gasped and Skitty's ears perked as it neared. Without turning her head, she quickly hopped to the right at the last second, dodging the boomerang. It of course flew past her and turned around, coming straight back at her. This time, her ears perked and she performed a backflip at the right moment so the boomerang flew right under her and back into Lyla's hand.

"Wow, can she really hear them coming?" someone in the audience whispered.

"Of course not!" someone else replied. "It's all pre-rehearsed."

As if Lyla had heard the comment, she smiled and threw the boomerang once more. Then she handed a boomerang to Eziray and another one to Aiden. They knew exactly what she wanted now and spread out around the arena before throwing the boomerangs so that Skitty would have to dodge them from different angles. She dodged all three of them with ease so the three trainers threw them again and then Lyla took out some really large super balls.

"Looks like she picked up something else too!" Eziray observed. Lyla began thrusting the balls against the ground and they bounced around wildly. Skitty dodged each one as they came, ears twitching constantly. Soon there were too many to count and as soon as Lyla tossed the last one, she ordered Skitty to use Iron Tail. Skitty's tail lit up and she began spinning and flipping and jumping all over the place, slicing a ball in half each time she swung her tail. Someone in the audience had caught a boomerang and threw it back at Skitty, wondering if she would be able to dodge it or not. Sure enough, she ducked just in time to avoid being hit and Lyla caught it.

"Now to take a bow…" she thought to herself, leaning forward.

At that moment, a small gust of wind happened to blow Lyla's hat off her head. She tried to grab it but the wind carried it away. Skitty was facing the opposite direction and her ears perked so she whipped around and sprinted in the direction that the hat was being blown, somersaulted in midair just before the hat, landed on the other side of it, and caught it on her head in a bowing position that she held for a moment as the crowd cheered. It was a perfect conclusion to the performance because it erased any belief that the two had pre-rehearsed anything. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Skitty's hearing was really that incredible.

"Thank you to all of our participants for entertaining us and dazzling us with these…wonderful appeals! I wish I could award you all with prizes but as you know, there can only be one winner! So the show must go on! I will now announce the four coordinators who have earned their spot in the next round! These four coordinators are, in no particular order at all…Gwen! Bert! Lyla! And Stacey! Congratulations, you four! Let's have Gwen and Bert take the stage!"

"Lyla made the cut!" Eziray exclaimed as the two coordinators positioned themselves.

"That's our girl," Aiden said. "Look how happy she is!"

Lyla was standing on the sidelines, grinning widely as she focused on the match in front of her. Gwen sent out her Castform once again and her opponent, Bert, sent out a Shroomish.

"Alright, Castform! Let's start things off by using Sunny Day!" Gwen ordered. Castform smiled and twirled in place, causing the weather to become bright and sunny. It then changed form to match.

"Bullet Seed, Shroomish!"

Shroomish opened its mouth and spit-fired a flurry of bullet-like seeds from it. Gwen then ordered Castform to counter it with Ember. Before any of the seeds could hit, Castform had them all destroyed. Nurse Joy made note of this. In an official contest, there would have been a scoreboard displaying the points that each coordinator had and whenever a Pokémon was upstaged, hit, or its attack failed, the coordinator's points would decrease. Nurse Joy didn't have one of these scoreboards and was having to calculate it all by herself.

"Let's change things up a bit, Castform! Use Hail!"

Castform spun in place once again and the weather grew slightly foggy as bits of ice rained down from the sky.

"Stun Spore!"

A sparkling orange powder was released from the top of Shroomish's head and spread out towards Castform. As it came into contact with the bits of hail, it made them sparkle and whether or not this was really intentional, it lost Gwen some points. This was an example of "upstaging." It's when a Pokémon manages to make itself look good during the battle by using its own moves or the opponent's moves. If it happens to use the opponent's moves to make itself look better, the opponent will lose even more points.

"Counter that with Powder Snow!"

Castform opened its mouth and a chilly gust of wind was blown out. The two moves collided and all of the Stun Spore was blow away. As Gwen and Bert were contemplating their next moves, the Hail ceased.

"Make it rain, Castform!"

Castform nodded and began to spin in place again.

"Quick! Use Tackle while it's distracted!"

Shroomish charged forward but Castform dodged it and hit it in the side with Water Gun. It apparently didn't _need _the weather to change in order to use its elemental attacks. Gwen just liked to show off.

"That's okay, Castform. Let's just finish this up with a quickness. Use Sunny Day!"

"Bullet Seed!"

As Castform spun and made the weather bright and sunny again, Shroomish finally managed to nail it with an attack. Castform cringed for a moment and Bert smiled.

"Use Absorb!"

Gwen smiled as a red beam was shot from the top of Shroomish's head and wrapped around Castform's body. It sucked energy from it to reenergize Shroomish. Gwen didn't let that go on too long and ordered her final move:

"Finish it off with Weather Ball!"

Before Shroomish could release Castform, a fiery ball was shot from the Normal-type's mouth and hit Shroomish directly in the chest, knocking it out.

"Since Shroomish is no longer able to battle, that automatically makes Gwen the winner!" Nurse Joy exclaimed excitedly. "Next, can we have Stacey and Lyla take the stage?"

As Gwen and Bert left the arena, Lyla and another girl positioned themselves. Skitty ran out in front of Lyla and Stacey sent out a Nincada. Then Nurse Joy told them to begin.

"Skitty, let's start things off with DoubleSlap!"

Skitty sprinted forward and whipped around to beat Nincada silly with her tail.

"Use Dig!" Stacey ordered as her Nincada was being knocked around.

Skitty knocked Nincada back one final time and it immediately dug into the ground. Skitty looked around uneasily, wondering where Nincada had gone, and it suddenly popped back up out of the ground from beneath her and attacked her.

"Good job! Now do it again and again!"

Nincada immediately dug back into the ground and Skitty backed up slowly and nervously, unsure of what to do. Nincada came up once again to attack her and immediately dug back into the ground. It continued this for several minutes and neither Skitty nor Lyla could think of anything to stop it.

"This isn't looking too good for her," Eziray whispered.

"Hey, it's her first contest. It's understandable," Aiden replied.

Pretty soon, Nincada had become a little tired and paused for a moment to catch its breath.

"Use Tackle, Skitty!" Lyla ordered. Skitty charged forward and Stacey smiled.

"Stop her in her tracks with Sand Attack!"

The Nincada turned around and kicked dirt into Skitty's face as she neared. She had to stop to clear the sand from her eyes with one of her paws.

"Now use Fury Swipes!"

Nincada rushed forward and slashed at Skitty vigorously with its bug-like claws.

"Iron Tail!"

Skitty's tail began to glow and she whirled around, knocking Nincada off of her with her rock-hard tail.

"Use Dig again!"

Nincada dug underground and Skitty gritted her teeth but then gasped as if she had remembered something. She closed her eyes and concentrated very hard. There was complete silence for a moment as everyone wondered what she was about to do. Then, suddenly, her ears twitched and she jumped to right as Nincada came out of the ground.

"Alright!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Yeah, I still don't believe that your Skitty has some supernatural hearing abilities. Nincada, dig underground again and try to be quiet, will ya?" Stacey ordered.

Nincada obeyed and dug underground. Lyla looked around at all of the holes that the Pokémon had created and they gave her an idea.

"Skitty, use Assist! Into one of the holes!"

Skitty nodded and opened her mouth above one of the holes. A white orb formed and from it, Water Gun was fired into the hole. The water burst through the ground in front of her and fired up like a geyser. Nincada happened to be at the top of it and once it ceased, it fell to the ground unconscious from the super-effective Water-type attack.

"Nincada is unable to battle!" Nurse Joy announced. "Lyla will proceed to the final round!"

Stacey called back her Nincada and shook hands with Lyla, thanking her for such a great battle before walking away. Then Gwen walked out and took her position on the field, sending out her Castform once again.

"We're down to the final round! Gwen vs. Lyla! Who will win? Coordinators, when you are ready, you may begin!" Nurse Joy announced.

"Castform, use Rain Dance and then Water Gun!"

Castform twirled in place and it began to rain heavily. Then it opened its mouth and sprayed a thick gout of water at Skitty.

"Assist!"

Skitty raised her right paw and a white orb formed at the tip of it. It resulted in Water Gun once again and the two moves crashed into each other. Both Pokémon pushed as hard as they could but, probably thanks to Mudkip's power, Skitty's Water Gun overpowered Castform's and continued until it blasted Castform back several yards.

"Now use Iron Tail!"

Skitty bolted forward and leaped up, somersaulting, into the air where Castform was hovering but the Castform was easily able to dodge the Iron Tail attack.

"Try Weather Ball!"

Castform formed a large ball of water in front of its mouth and spat it forward towards Skitty.

"Assist again!"

"Why does she keep pressing her luck with that move? If she keeps using it, it might eventually result in attacks that give her a disadvantage rather than help her," Eziray said.

"Well think about it. Mudkip knows Ice Beam, Water Gun, Bide, and Tackle. Any of those moves, excluding Tackle, would be helpful in this case. She's doing just fine," Aiden reasoned.

"True," Eziray said, turning back to the match.

In this case, the Assist resulted in Water Gun _again_ and when the two moves collided, it caused a small explosion that resulted in sparkling bits of water raining down over the audience and arena.

"We're not going to be able to hit that Castform unless we use long range attacks, so we're going to have to keep using Assist, okay Skitty?"

Skitty nodded and used Assist again, this time it resulted in Ice Beam.

"Ember!"

Castform spat a flurry of embers from its mouth that melted the Ice Beam before it could reach its target.

"Ice, huh? We can top that. Castform, use Hail! Then Weather Ball!"

Castform twirled, changing the weather once again to a small hail storm. Then she fired a large icy ball at Skitty.

"Assist!"

Skitty used Assist one last time and it resulted in Bide so the Weather Ball hit, inflicting serious damage but Skitty was still standing. Gwen and Castform stared in horror as Skitty absorbed even more energy from the hail stones that were striking her. After several moments, she released double the energy, causing double the damage that had been inflicted on her. Castform didn't go down but was cringing from the injuries that it had just taken.

"Finish it off with Iron Tail!"

Castform was already exhausted from the demanding appeal that it had to perform in the preliminary round and the hard battle it had fought minutes ago. Now it was just in too much pain to move out of the way. Skitty was able to finish it off with one final blow from Iron Tail, and the Castform fell to the ground, out cold.

"Castform is unable to battle! Lyla is the winner of this match, and therefore the winner of the contest! Thank you to all who participated and better luck next year! Lyla, please come up here and accept your prize!" Nurse Joy announced.

Everyone applauded as Lyla made her way over to Nurse Joy who was holding something with a blanket draped over it. Lyla cocked her head, wondering what it was, and Nurse Joy smiled before pulling the sheet off. Everyone stared in admiration of what was revealed and Lyla was glowing with excitement. Underneath the blanket, there was a hard protective case and within that case, there was a dark brown Pokémon egg with a light brown zigzag around the center of it.

"Is this really for me?" Lyla asked as Nurse Joy handed it to her gently.

"It really is! It was a donation from one of my relatives in Kanto!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "So I have no idea what's inside. Keep it warm and keep it safe and let me know what it hatches into alright?"

"You got it!" Lyla exclaimed excitedly, thanking Nurse Joy and rushing over to show it to her friends.

She guarded the egg with her life all the way back to the Pokémon Center and once they got there, Nurse Joy tended to Skitty's injuries while the trainers packed up and got ready to hit the road. While they were packing, Lyla eventually realized that Mudkip was still out and about somewhere and she had to go find him.

"I don't even know where to start!" she said to herself with a sigh. She searched for what seemed like hours and couldn't find him. She was absolutely exhausted and decided to take a break so she sat down under the shade of a big tree. She leaned back against the trunk and stared into the clear blue sky for a while, daydreaming about becoming a top coordinator. She closed her eyes and breathed in the clean, fresh air. She wasn't used to it. Growing up in Lavaridge, there had always been a lot of volcanic ash in the air. Some days, it was so bad that her mother wouldn't let her go outside. She began to miss her mother and the flower shop that they ran together. She wished that she hadn't been such a handful and wondered if her mother would have been proud of her for finally heading out on this journey. She was certainly glad she did. She felt happier than she ever had before and could no longer imagine her life without her new friends. Her thoughts ran for a while longer until she eventually fell asleep.

When she awoke, apparently several hours later, Mudkip was curled up in her lap with his head against her belly, sleeping like a baby. She reached up to stroke his head, but something fell from her hand and landed on the ground beside her. She lifted it from the ground and held it up to look at it. It was pastel pink flower with a yellowish inside and it was slightly moist. Lyla smiled because she knew that meant that Mudkip had brought it to her.

**Authors Notes:**

My beta was bugging me to mention this because she wanted to change it so bad but I wouldn't let her. "With a quickness" is an expression that my friend uses a lot and it kind of rubbed off on me. It's not a typo. With that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you review it!


	8. CH 8 Every Rose Has Her Thorn

**Chapter 8: Every Rose Has Her Thorn**

"Speedy, finish it off with Absorb!" Eziray ordered.

Speedy stretched out his arms and two read beams shot off from the palms of his hands and extended until they wrapped around his opponent, a Lotad. The Lotad was already pretty badly damaged and the Absorb was just enough to take it out.

"Five minutes down the road and she's already engaged in an intense battle," Lyla said as she polished her new egg. She and Aiden were both sitting down on a couple of large boulders as Eziray and a boy around their age battled. The boy called his Lotad back and sent out a Torkoal.

"I don't think we'll switch. Speedy needs the practice," Eziray said.

"Alright, but it's your funeral!" the boy exclaimed with a smirk.

"And already making poor decisions too," Lyla added to her previous statement.

"Meh. Eziray likes winning with type disadvantages. Let's see how this goes," Aiden replied.

"Torkoal, use Fire Spin!"

The Torkoal opened its mouth and a large vortex of fire was released. Speedy managed to dodge it with some quick, fancy acrobatics and landed several feet back from where he started.

"Quick Attack!"

Speedy nodded and sped forward towards Torkoal, with the intent to slam into it.

"Quick! Withdraw!"

Before Speedy could reach Torkoal, the Fire-type tucked into its shell and avoided most of the damage inflicted when Speedy hit it.

"Now use Smokescreen!"

Without coming back out of its shell, a thick black smoke was released from the inside of the shell and clouded up the area. Speedy became surrounded by the smoke and was unable to see a thing. He looked around nervously, unable to focus.

"Fire Spin!"

Suddenly, another vortex of fire was coming at Treecko from his left but he was able to see it at just the right moment and managed to avoid it by jumping out of the way. Unfortunately, he landed very close to Torkoal and didn't notice in time to avoid being smashed into the ground by Torkoal's Body Slam. The smokescreen began to clean and Treecko could be seen struggling to its feet. Torkoal was still inside the smoke somewhere.

"Fire Spin again!"

A fire spiraled out from the smoke and Treecko ducked to avoid it. He stood, panting for a moment, watching the smoke clear away. Torkoal's shadow appeared first and then the smoke dispersed completely. It stood there, staring Speedy down, and then attempted to use Fire Spin again. This time, Treecko threw up his arms and his whole body became outlined in blue. The Fire Spin should have hit this time, but for some reason, it split off to both sides of Speedy and he took no damage at all.

"That move's called Detect," Lyla said, fiddling with her Pokédex. "The user will take no damage if it's timed right."

"Awesome, Speedy! I had no idea you could use that! Now use Absorb!"

Two red beams shot off from each of Speedy's palms and wrapped around Torkoal, leeching energy from it. The Torkoal moaned in slight pain but it wasn't very effective. Speedy released, feeling a little better, and the Torkoal shook itself.

"Body Slam, now!"

"Quick Attack!"

The Torkoal charged forward to use Body Slam, but Treecko zipped out of the way and slammed right into its neck and the side of its face with Quick Attack. It shook its head and then Speedy flipped down from above, using Pound on the top of its head.

"Withdraw!"

Speedy would have attacked right then, but Torkoal went into its shell once again.

"I have an idea! Speedy, use Quick Attack _around_ the shell, just barely touching it!"

Speedy whirled around the shell, barely touching it as Eziray had ordered which caused the shell to spin around and around rapidly. Then Speedy stopped and watched as the Torkoal came back out of its shell and stumbled forward dizzily.

"Now finish it off with Pound!"

Speedy nodded and jumped up into the air, somersaulting down and smashing its tail into Torkoal's head. Torkoal fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Torkoal, return!" the boy exclaimed, sadly.

"Wow that was a great battle!" Eziray exclaimed, calling Speedy back as well. "Thank you!"

"You're a really strong trainer, you know that?" the boy exclaimed.

"Thanks! We work hard," Eziray replied.

"You must have all sorts of badges!"

"In Kanto…I don't have any Hoenn badges yet. I'm actually off to challenge Rustboro's Gym Leader!"

"Rustboro?" the boy echoed with a frown.

"Is something wrong?" Lyla asked, standing up from the boulder.

"Well, I don't think you're going to get there anytime soon…No one's been able to get in or out of Rustboro for three days!"

"_Three days_? Why?" Lyla demanded.

"There's some really big Pokémon blocking the road and they won't budge! I went to go see for myself and it's true!" the boy explained.

"Maybe they're hungry," Eziray suggested.

"Well you could try feeding them…there's a flower shop around here somewhere and I think they sell berries there too. Just keep going down this road and you'll come to a fork. The Pokémon are blocking one side and the other leads to the flower shop. They might not be open though. It's a little early…" the boy trailed off.

"It's okay! We'll go check it out. Thanks!" Aiden exclaimed. The three trainers parted ways with the boy and continued down the road. Lyla's egg was back in its protective casing and she clutched it tight against her body as she walked, looking down lovingly at it.

"What do you think it is, Skitty?" she asked.

"Mya," Skitty responded with a shrug.

"I have an idea, but I think it would be better as a surprise," Aiden said.

"Aw come on, Aiden! Tell me!" Lyla insisted.

"Nope!" he exclaimed before whispering something into Eziray's ear.

"Wow! You think?" she asked, grinning.

"Hey, that's not funny!" Lyla exclaimed. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and at that moment, she tripped over a large tree root. The egg flew out of her hands but Aiden caught it as Eziray helped her back up.

"Hey now, you'll never know what it is if it breaks. Be careful!" Aiden warned.

"We were only joking, Lyla," Eziray added.

"Ha ha," Lyla said sarcastically as Aiden handed her the egg.

Some time went by as the trainers walked along the road. Eziray was a little disappointed that they didn't run into any other trainers because she wanted to get as much practice as she could before the gym battle. She blamed the roadblock. The only interesting thing they saw was a Surskit skating around on a small pond that they passed at some point. Lyla tried to catch it but it was very quick and it eventually fled. Not long after that, they finally made it to the fork in the road and saw the roadblock with their own eyes.

"Slaking, the Lazy Pokémon: It is known as the world's laziest Pokémon, although they are actually storing energy as they lounge about and are often quite powerful," Eziray's Pokédex informed.

"Can't we just climb over them?" Lyla asked innocently.

"According to the dex, they're pretty powerful. Especially because they've been loafing around for three days straight, so let's try not to anger them," Eziray replied.

"So, it looks like we're gonna go visit that flower shop then, huh?" Aiden said, knowing that there was no way to move all sixteen of them by force. So the trainers sighed in unison and began trekking down the road to their right. They could see that it was leading them to a small hill with a building at the top.

"That must be the flower shop," Lyla said, staring at it curiously. Suddenly, a purple Pokémon swung down from a tree, hanging by its tail, and screamed excitedly right into Lyla's face. She of course screamed in response and stumbled backwards a few feet.

"It's an Aipom," Eziray said, in somewhat shock as it flipped around the branch and jumped down.

"They're from the Johto region," Aiden added as it jumped up and down excitedly. They all stared at it for a moment and then it grabbed Aiden by the hand and tugged on it as if it wanted to show him something. Confused, yet somewhat curious, the trainers followed the Aipom. It led them to the building on the hill, which was in fact the flower shop, and brought them in through the front door.

Inside, it was quite a beautiful sight. There were all sorts of colorful flowers planted inside of pots all over the room. Some were on shelves, some were hanging from the ceiling, some were laying on tables, and some were woven around pieces of plastic fencing that was leaning against the walls. The Aipom began hopping in front of each plant, one-by-one, as if it were inspecting them. Eziray made her way to a pot with pretty purple flowers and smelled them.

"This place is –"

"A DISASTER!" Lyla exclaimed, cutting Eziray off. Aiden, Eziray and the Aipom stared at her in shock as she walked around the room, pointing things out. "These aren't getting enough water, these are getting too much, this one needs a higher quality of mulch, this one's not even in season, it's way too cold in here for this one and it's going to die in a week, these would be much more vibrant if they were in the sun…"

She went on and on until finally someone who had been standing there cleared her throat. The Aipom scampered over and jumped onto her shoulder. She was a young girl, about eleven years old, with curly brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing old work clothes and a green apron and she sure didn't look very happy.

"Excuse me," she said as Lyla inspected a vase full of flowers on the front desk.

"Yes, I'd like to speak with the manager please," Lyla said, not even looking up at the girl.

"Well," the girl began, politely, "If you would like some customer service…COME BACK WHEN WE'RE OPEN!"

Lyla looked up, not because she realized what the girl had said, but because she had something else to say.

"You know, these flowers would last longer if you cut their stems at an angle rather than a straight horizontal line," she said, pulling one of the tulips from the vase.

"Don't touch that!" the girl demanded, snatching the tulip from Lyla's hand and putting it back into the vase. Lyla walked off to mess with something else.

"HEY! It's bad enough that you can't read something as simple as a sign, but you can't hear either? We're _closed_!" the girl shouted.

"ROSE!" someone demanded. Everyone looked up. A young woman was standing there now. She was dressed the same as the little girl and she too had brown hair and blue eyes. However, she looked to be about nineteen and her hair was straight and tied back with a green bandana. "We haven't had any customers since mamma left. Don't be rude to our only customers in four days!"

"I'm sorry, Violet," the girl said, looking down in shame.

"Aipa!" the Aipom exclaimed proudly.

"You mean you brought them here?" Rose asked, looking up at the Aipom who had just crawled onto her head. "I'm sorry then! Is there anything I can get for you guys?".

"We're sorry too! Our friend pretty much grew up in a flower shop, so she's a little anal I guess…" Eziray trailed off.

"A little? I could hear her from the backyard!" Violet exclaimed, trying to smile and be polite. "Sorry, we don't meet your expectations. It's been a little hard to take care of things without our mother here. We really don't know as much about plants as she does. We're only here to help for the season and then we're going back to Johto to be with our dad."

"It's fine!" Lyla said, handing her a piece of paper.

"What's this?" she asked.

"A list of all the things that need fixing in here," Lyla replied.

"T-thanks," she said awkwardly.

"So, just guessing here, is your mother stuck in Rustboro City because of the roadblock?" Aiden asked, stroking the petals of a sunflower.

"Yes. She left four days ago to deliver flowers for a wedding and she can't get back now. Those rotten Slaking just won't budge!" Rose said, aggressively snatching the list from her sister to look over it.

"Well, we had an idea. Has anyone tried coaxing them away with food?" Eziray asked.

"I don't think so…" Violet said, thinking for a moment.

"WHAT?" Rose demanded, all of a sudden, looking down at Lyla's notes. "Who do you think you are? Why can't you keep your opinions to yourself and let us do things the way we want! How would _you_ like it if _I_ was trying to tell you how to be a _Pokémon trainer_?"

"I was just trying to help you guys out, but when you put it that way, it almost sounds like a challenge," Lyla said, crossing her arms.

"Well maybe it is!" Rose exclaimed, taking a Pokéball from the pocket of her apron. "Three-on-three?"

"Bring it on!" Lyla exclaimed, turning to Aiden to whisper, "Hey, can I borrow a Pokémon?"

Aiden grinned and handed her Torchic's ball. She thanked him and followed Rose out to the back where they would apparently be having their Pokémon battle.

"You ready?" Rose asked, positioning herself.

"Yep," Lyla said, positioning herself as well.

"Then Miltank, come on out!" Rose exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball up into the air.

"You too, Torchic!" Lyla exclaimed. Both Pokémon popped out at the same time and stared each other down for a moment.

"Miltank, use Rollout!"

The Miltank curled up into a ball and rolled forward with great force. Torchic fluttered out of the way to dodge it but it circled around and tried to hit it again. Torchic continued dodging until Lyla told it to use Ember. As Miltank neared, Torchic opened his mouth and fired small bits of fire at the incoming Pokémon. Miltank was unfazed by it, however, and Rose then ordered it to use Body Slam. Miltank came out of the Rollout, flattening out its body, and slammed Torchic against the ground. The Normal-type sat there for a moment, completely covering Torchic, until Torchic began using Peck rapidly from underneath and Miltank cried out in pain as it lifted itself from the Fire-type. Torchic immediately ran out from underneath and began to throw a tantrum.

"Torchic, stop that!" Lyla exclaimed, trying to get it to pay attention to the battle.

"Right then. Use Focus Punch!"

Miltank's right fist began to glow as it charged at Torchic who looked up angrily at the incoming Pokémon and opened its mouth to fire the most powerful Ember it could. The flames went straight into Miltank's face and it stopped in its tracks, rubbing its face because of the burning pain. Then Torchic zipped forward, jumped onto its head and began pecking violently, over and over again.

"Enough of that, use Rollout!"

Miltank curled and rolled forward. Torchic was still on top of it and ran as fast as it could as Miltank rolled so that he wouldn't be squashed, but his short little legs just weren't quick enough and Miltank managed to bulldoze right over him.

"Finish it off with Zen Headbut!" Rose exclaimed as Torchic struggled to stand. Miltank nodded and its head began to glow bright blue as it charged forward, ramming Torchic as hard as it could with its head. Torchic rolled several times and was knocked unconscious from the impact. Lyla looked to Aiden, apologetically, as she returned Torchic to its ball. He half-smiled to assure her that he wasn't mad at her.

"Awesome work, Miltank!" Rose began as she called it back. "Chikorita, it's your turn now!"

"Mudkip, you're up!" Lyla exclaimed, sending out Mudkip as Rose's Chikorita popped out.

"Use Razor Leaf!"

Chikorita rolled her head, flicking the leaf at the top of it, and tons of smaller leaves appeared from it and flew towards Mudkip.

"You can handle that. Use Bide!"

Mudkip began to glow bright white and Rose gasped as the leaves hit and he braced himself, absorbing the attack's energy with Bide. He took a lot of damage, but not enough to weaken him. He opened his eyes and smiled as the energy was released and Chikorita took double the damage that she had inflicted.

"Synthesis!" Rose ordered as Chikorita struggled to her feet. The Grass-type nodded and began to glow green. Many of the wounds on her body were healed and she appeared a little healthier.

"Tackle!"

Mudkip charged forward in an attempt to slam into her, but she hopped out of the way and Rose ordered her to use Vine Whip. Two vines extended from the buds around Chikorita's neck and smacked Mudkip hard, knocking him back against a boulder.

"Now you use Tackle too, Chikorita!"

Chikorita charged forward and Lyla ordered Mudkip to do the same, so he charged at her as well. The two collided and Mudkip was much more powerful so Chikorita was knocked way back.

"Try Ice Beam!"

Mudkip opened his mouth and shot an icy beam from it, but Chikorita jumped to the side to dodge it.

"Vine Whip again! Smash him against a tree!"

Two vines extended from Chikorita again, but this time, they wrapped around Mudkip and lifted him from the ground. She pulled him back over her head and then thrust the vines forward, sending him flying towards a tree.

"Water Gun!"

Mudkip opened his mouth and began spraying water against the tree. This forced him back and sent him flying right into Chikorita. She released and stumbled around for a moment as Mudkip shook his head from side-to-side.

"Use Razor Leaf!"

Chikorita shook her leaf and fired another mass of sharp leaves at him.

"Let's finish this up! Keep using Ice Beam!"

Mudkip fired an Ice Beam at the leaves, which destroyed them and kept going towards Chikorita. She dodged of course and Rose ordered her to use Vine Whip one more time. Her vines extended and Mudkip hit them both with Ice Beam. They became heavy and landed on the ground. She pulled as hard as she could but didn't manage to pull them free. Then she looked up and noticed Mudkip slowly walking towards her so she tried to back away to escape but her vines were too heavy to drag. She struggled and struggled until Mudkip was right up in her face, watching her. Then he smiled and shot her right in the face with Ice Beam. The close-up, super-effective attack was too much for her to handle and she was knocked out instantly. Rose gritted her teeth as she called her Chikorita back and Lyla rejoiced.

Lyla called Mudkip back too and the girls both sent out their final Pokémon: Skitty and Aipom.

"Aipom, use Fury Swipes!"

"Dodge it and use DoubleSlap!"

Aipom scampered forward and attempted to slash Skitty up with the tiny, yet sharp, nails on its paws. Skitty dodged each swing and then whirled around, smacking it in the face with her tail. She smacked it around several times before it jumped back to get away from her.

"Try using Swift!"

Aipom nodded and flung its tail. Tons of shiny yellow stars where released from it and pelted Skitty. When the attack was over, she shook herself and glared angrily at her opponent.

"Iron Tail, Skitty!"

"Thunderpunch!"

Skitty sprinted forward in an attempt to hit the Aipom with her glowing steel tail, but Aipom performed a backflip to get out of the way. Then the end of its tail began to spark violently and he swung it around, knocking Skitty back several feet with Thunderpunch.

"Now use Double Team!"

Suddenly, Aipom multiplied and there were now ten Aipom running about. Skitty had no idea which one was real and watched them nervously as they surrounded her.

"Skitty, Assist!"

Skitty opened her mouth and a glowing white orb formed. It resulted in Ice Beam and Skitty moved her head as it fired, destroying all the fakes. Lyla did the math and frowned.

"That was nine, where's the real one?" she asked.

"About to come on out and use Fury Swipes and then Swift!" Rose exclaimed.

The real Aipom came flipping down out of a tree above Skitty's head and began slashing at her violently with its paws. Then it jumped backwards a couple feet and used Swift.

"Tackle, Skitty!"

Skitty charged forward, through the attack, and slammed into Aipom as hard as she could. She was going to be hit by Swift anyway so Lyla figured they may as well inflict some damage too.

"Are you ready to finish this up, Aipom?" Rose asked as her Pokémon stood, awaiting orders.

"Aipa!"

"Then use Double Team and then Swift again!"

The Aipom multiplied and before Lyla and Skitty could react, each Aipom hit Skitty with Swift. Skitty fell to the ground and struggled to stand so Rose smiled.

"Alright, finish it off with Thunderpunch!"

All of the fake Aipom vanished and the real one hit Skitty with Thunderpunch, knocking her out. Lyla ran to her side and picked her up as Rose and Aipom jumped up and down victoriously.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" Rose gloated.

"I'd say she did rather well for a rookie trainer," Aiden said with a chuckle. This comment seemed to flush away all of the pride that Rose had just built up.

"Rookie?" she echoed.

"Yes, Lyla just became a trainer less than a week ago," Aiden replied.

"Less than a week ago, I started almost a year ago! Beating a rookie is nothing special…" Rose trailed off.

"And even though you beat me, I'm not taking back what I said about the flowers!" Lyla exclaimed cheerfully with a wink.

"What was that?" Rose demanded angrily.

"Rose, please calm down! I think she knows more about plants than we do!" Violet exclaimed, rushing over to restrain her sister. Rose yelled and yelled and finally she stopped, so her sister let her go and she returned to the building.

"I'm sorry! Rose has quite a temper sometimes!" Violet said, scratching the back of her head. "Is your Skitty okay?"

"I think she'll be okay," Lyla said. She was holding the unconscious Skitty in her arms. Violet frowned and put her hand in the pocket on the front of her apron as she walked over to Lyla. Then she held her hand out to reveal several Oran Berries.

"Have her eat these to regain some strength. I'll go gather a couple baskets of other berries. That's what you came here for, right? Food for the Slaking?" Violet asked.

"Yup!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Then I'll be back in a flash!" Violet exclaimed, and walked back into the building.

Lyla managed to wake Skitty up and fed her the berries as Violet had directed. When she was done, Violet had gathered two baskets of berries and carried them out to the trainers. Aiden thanked her and handed her some money to pay for the berries and she thanked them for their purchase and told them that they could use the gate to get back to the road. They nodded and began making their way to the gate but Rose came running out of the shop.

"I wanna go too!" she demanded.

"What? Why Rose?" Violet asked.

"If this works, I want to go to Rustboro town and tell mamma that the roadblock is gone so she'll come back today!" Rose exclaimed.

"O-okay…" Violet stuttered as Rose sprinted to the gate and let herself out. The three trainers sighed, not too thrilled with the idea of babysitting, but followed after anyway. Lyla and Rose argued the whole way there, but they made it all the way back to the Slaking in one piece.

"Do you think this'll work?" Lyla asked.

"It'd better!" Rose shouted.

"Well it's not like it's our fault if it doesn't!" Lyla replied, taking a basket from Eziray.She held out a handful of berries to one of the Slaking. It sniffed them without opening its eyes then turned over and scratched itself on the rear.

"Well, it was worth a shot…" she trailed off. "Guess we're goin' with plan B."

"Plan B?" Rose echoed.

"Mudkip, let's go," Lyla exclaimed, sending out her Water-type. "Can you make the big smelly Pokémon get out of our way, sweetie?"

Mudkip looked at her then the Slaking then at her again and nodded excitedly. She nodded back at him and he looked as if he had just been let off a leash. He scampered forward and used Ice Beam to create some sort of ramp. Then he backed up a ways and sprinted forward, using the ramp to jump over all of the Slaking. When he landed on the other side of them, he turned around and began hosing them down with a high-pressured Water Gun. Startled, they all awoke from their slumber and dispersed into the trees and bushes to their right. Lyla smacked herself in the forehead.

"Was that really all we had to do?" Rose asked, angrily. "And why did he need to get on the other side of them? They would have reacted the same way if he had blasted them from this angle!"

"Don't question him. You'll get a headache trying to figure him out, believe me…" Lyla trailed off, rubbing her head as If she were trying to recover from one.

"MUDKIIIIP!" Mudkip exclaimed, racing off down the road.

"Mudkip, where are you going?" Lyla demanded, taking off after him. Rose and the other trainers followed as well.

A woman was picking some fruit from a tree, a little ways down the road. She was wearing a dark green dress and a matching headband in her brown hair. Mudkip ran straight to her and began rubbing up against her. She giggled and bent down to pet him, revealing her pretty blue eyes.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Lyla exclaimed, assuming that Mudkip was doing something to bother her.

"MAMMA!" Rose exclaimed, running past Lyla, and into the woman's arms.

"Well it looks as if those Slaking have vacated! What a surprise! I was just coming out to pick some fresh fruit. I had no idea I'd be able to come home too! How have you been?"

As Rose began telling her mother everything that had happened during the days that her mother was gone, the other trainers caught up to them. Lyla was still wondering why Mudkip was so attracted to the woman. It must have been her perfume.

"What a wonderful little angel you have here," the woman said, lifting Mudkip from the ground. "He's so sweet!"

"Wonderful? Angel? Sweet?" Lyla echoed. "If only you knew…"

"Mamma, we have to go back to the store _right now_! It's a mess! Violet doesn't know what she's doing and she won't listen to me!" Rose exclaimed.

"I'm sure that's not the case," Lyla muttered causing Rose to shoot her a death glare, but her mother laughed and agreed to go take a look. As she passed Lyla, she stopped and stared for a moment.

"That flower…" she trailed off.

"What?" Lyla asked.

"On your hat…"

Lyla put her hand on her hat and ran it over the pink flower that Mudkip had given her the day before. She had completely forgotten about it. She had attached it to the strap around her hat so she wouldn't lose it and it wouldn't break.

"It's quite beautiful. May I see it?" the mother asked. Lyla nodded and the woman studied it for a few moments.

"Do you know what it is? I've never seen one like it before…" Lyla trailed off.

"I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't quite remember where. All I know is that it is not a common species here in Hoenn. Take good care of it," the woman said.

"I will!" Lyla exclaimed as the mother and daughter linked arms and began walking back to the flower shop. Once they were out of view, Lyla turned to her friends.

"That Rose…" she trailed off.

"Is a little brat?" Eziray suggested.

"Definitely. But you know…she's just like me when I was her age!" Lyla exclaimed with a smile.

The others sighed, smiled with her, and then they all headed off in the direction of Rustboro City.

**Author Notes:**

Coincidentally, I had been listening to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison when I was trying to name this chapter. Then I thought "Hey! That's a good idea!" Ahh, I love that song. Anywho, the flower shop in this chapter is in the game, not the anime. But the characters aren't really based on the three girls who run it. I kinda just made them up. I hope you liked it! As usual, read and review please!


	9. CH 9 Team Aqua Surfaces

**Chapter 9: Team Aqua Surfaces**

"Good morning, everybody!" Lyla exclaimed, stretching as she walked out of the bedroom. Aiden and Eziray were seated at kitchen table discussing their plans for the day. When they had arrived in Rustboro the night before, all of the hotels were booked and the Pokémon Center was completely packed. The only room they could get was the most expensive room of the most luxurious hotel in the entire city. After a couple desperate phone calls to Aiden and Eziray's parents, they got enough money to rent the room and not render themselves completely broke. It was a beautiful suite (two bedroom, one bathroom, and a lounge leading into a small kitchen) and it had everything they could possibly need, but it was _not_ worth the ridiculous price they had to pay for it.

"Morning, Lyla," Aiden said as she walked into the bathroom.

"So the front desk called a little while ago, knowing that we're trainers, and told me that the gym is closed today because the students at the Pokémon School are on a field trip and Roxanne is chaperoning them. She also informed me of a Pokémon Contest tomorrow night. Do you think Lyla's ready for a real contest?" Eziray asked.

"I don't know. Hey, Lyla!" Aiden exclaimed. There was no response, only the sound of something heavy splashing into the water and clanging against porcelain followed by the word 'Damnit,' screamed by Lyla, of course.

"Everything okay in there?" Eziray called.

Lyla busted out of the room with a dripping wet PokéNav in hand.

"I dropped my PokéNav in the toilet!" she screamed, looking as if she wereabout ready to break down.

Eziray sighed and Lyla sat down at the table with her so they could fiddle with it. While they were trying to get it to work, Aiden of course had a better idea and phoned the front desk, asking if there was a computer wizard in the house. The woman at the front desk talked for some time as he jotted down notes on a pad of paper provided by the hotel next to the phone. When he hung up, he ripped the paper off the pad and set it down next to Lyla, who was now more angry than upset.

"What's this?" she asked, picking it up.

"Directions," Aiden replied.

"To?" Eziray asked.

"The Devon Corporation. That's the company that invented the PokéNav. Remember Norman had mentioned them before. If anyone can fix it, it would be them. If not, than we could at least buy a new one!" Aiden explained.

"With what money?" Lyla whined, dropping her head onto the table with a thunk. "We spent it all on the hotel!"

"Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off as Lyla repeatedly banged her head against the table.

"Maybe they'll take pity on us…it's worth a shot, I guess. Anyway, let's go," Eziray insisted in her usual over-excited manner, so the three trainers followed the directions to Devon Corporation which was, of course, closed when they got there.

"Who goes on lunch break at ten AM?" Lyla demanded, hammering on the glass door.

"There's someone in there," Eziray observed, peering in through the glass. There was a woman at the front desk, typing away rapidly at her computer. Hearing Lyla's slamming, she looked up and frowned at the trainers, making a 'go away' motion and mouthing 'We're closed.'

"Please?" Lyla mouthed back, holding up the broken PokéNav and giving the woman her most pitiful look. The woman sighed and walked over, letting the trainers in and shutting the door quickly behind her.

"We're having a problem with our security system. It shut off by itself at two AM this morning so I've been advised to keep the doors locked and not let anyone in. You three don't look very suspicious, so if anyone asks, you had an appointment. Okay? Now what seems to be the problem?" the woman asked, taking a seat back at her desk.

"Has the five year warranty on this expired yet?" Lyla asked nervously. The woman took the device, examined it, and typed its serial number into her computer.

"You're in luck! The warranty won't expire for another two months," the woman said. "Is it not working anymore?"

"Yeah… I don't suppose the warranty covers water damage?" Lyla asked, scratching the back of her head. The woman frowned and shook her head 'no', explaining that it would cost money to fix it. Curious, Lyla asked how much it would cost and when the woman told her, Lyla laughed nervously and said it was a little out of her budget. The woman then showed her the price tag for a new one, which was about double.

"Guess I'll have to get a few gigs here and maybe earn enough to fix it…or we could just buy a regular map," Aiden suggested.

"W-wait a minute!" Lyla exclaimed, remembering something. "The president! I know the president! He gave it to me himself when my mom and I helped organize and decorate the grand opening of your Lavaridge store location! Well, he gave it to my mom but she had no use for it so she gave it to me. Maybe he remembers me?"

"Name?" the woman asked with a sigh, picking up the phone and pressing a button.

"Lyla Sinclair…but he wouldn't know me maybe. Try my mother, Caroline Sinclair," Lyla said.

"Ms. Sinclair is here to see you, sir," the woman said.

"Who?" a man's voice responded.

"Miss Lyla Sinclair, the daughter of a Caroline Sinclair. Do these names ring any bells, sir?"

"Uh…vaguely…"

"This is apparently the daughter of a woman who had helped with the opening in Lavaridge. She said you gave them a PokéNav as a thank you token but it's broken now and she was wondering if we could fix it free of charge."

"Send her away. We have enough problems on our hands right now and I'll be damned if I'm going to take the time to cater to some clumsy snot-nosed brat's issues with the PokéNav she received _free of charge_. I would also like you to run down to the coffee shop and order _two_ coffee drinks."

"Two? Do you have a visitor, Mr. Stone?"

"Yes, and it is very important that you _leave _the building and go get some coffee for us _immediately_."

"I see…"

The woman's expression was empty for a moment as she hung up the phone, then she looked up at the trainers with a very alarmed expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to be on your way now!" she exclaimed.

"But –" Lyla began.

"I'm sorry about your device, please come back when we are open. Now leave," the woman said, gathering her things in somewhat of a panic. She then shooed the trainers out, locking the door behind her and walking calmly down the street in the direction of a nearby café. The trainers watched as she walked past the café, obviously with no intention of buying the requested coffee, so they began to suspect that something bad was happening inside of that building.

"I've met Mr. Stone before. He was much nicer than that. And the fact that he wanted his own receptionist to leave too? Maybe his 'visitor' is holding him hostage! And he sent us all away for our own safety," Lyla exclaimed.

"Lyla, I'm sure this company has grown a lot in the almost five years between now and when you last saw Mr. Stone. He's probably become some money-crazed asshole just like every other president of every other big-name company. And asking for some coffee for him and his guest doesn't really sound like an odd request to me!" Eziray replied, convinced that there was nothing to be worried about.

"I don't know, Ez. Remember that security was shut off in the middle of the night. Maybe it wasn't an accident. Maybe someone did it on purpose to make infiltration much easier. Besides, did you see the expression on that receptionist's face? Even _she _suspected something was up. It wouldn't hurt to go back in there and check things out. If Mr. Stone _is_ in trouble, we should probably give him a hand, don't you think?"

"I guess that's not a bad idea, but I'm telling you guys…it's nothing to worry about!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Espeon, come on out!" Aiden exclaimed. "Can you Teleport us into the building here?"

Espeon looked at the building and then back to Aiden suspiciously.

"You want me to assist you in breaking and entering?" she asked, incredulously.

"We're not breaking anything!" Lyla corrected. She considered her statement a moment, and then went on. "At least we won't be if you help us." Espeon glared at her for a moment and then continued.

"Aiden, I am not going to be a part of this little criminal scheme and I advise you to erase the notion from your mind completely or you are going to end up in a lot of trouble. I care about you, Aiden and you too, Eziray. I do not wish for you to be in any sort of trouble…"

"What about me, Espeon?" Lyla asked. Espeon stared at her for a moment answering, her tone so low it was practically a hiss.

"You? You, my dear, are poison. You and that-that…that _thing_ you call a companion. You and that devilish little Water Pokémon are going to get my friends into a lot of trouble someday. This was _your_ idea, I presume?"

"Don't worry about it, Lyla! Espeon takes a while to warm up to anyone," Eziray said, completely oblivious to what Espeon was saying to Lyla.

"You know, Espeon, we're getting into that building regardless of whether or not you help us. Gracie can use Teleport too, remember? Wouldn't it be much easier if you just did it?" Aiden reasoned. Espeon sighed.

"Have it your way," she said and teleported the trainers inside the building. Once inside, all of the Pokémon were released from the Pokéballs for protection. Then everyone crowded into the elevator together.

"Now this is nice and cozy," Lyla said, trying not to step on Mudkip.

"Yeah, maybe we should have waited until _after _we were out of the elevator to send them all out," Eziray said.

"I think we should split up," Aiden suggested suddenly.

"What? Why?" Lyla asked. "It's not like we have to find him somewhere in the building. He's the _president_. He's not going to be just anywhere! He's going to be in his office, on the very top floor! Besides, you've seen the cartoons… you NEVER split up!" she exclaimed, reaching for the button to the top floor. Aiden grabbed her hand away from it.

"What if there are others?" Aiden asked.

"Others?" Lyla and Eziray echoed.

"Yes, like accomplices. Even if there aren't, the building should be evacuated, so two of us should divide the floors and get everyone out of danger," Aiden explained.

"You're right!" Eziray exclaimed.

"But I'll go rescue Mr. Stone!" all three trainers declared at the same time.

"What? You two don't even know him! I've actually met him before! He'll remember me. I want to do it!" Lyla demanded.

"I'm the strongest!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Let me handle it," Aiden said calmly.

"I'm the strongest!" Eziray repeated.

"Guys come on, let me do it!" Lyla said, reaching for the button again.

"But I'm the strongest!" Eziray whined, reaching for the button as well.

"Knock it off you two!" Aiden shouted, fighting their hands with his. Then he pushed the button for the second floor and the button of the middle floor, allowing Eziray to push the top button.

"HA!" she exclaimed as the elevator began moving.

"That doesn't mean you get to go to the top!" Lyla challenged.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to the second floor. Before anyone could even object, Aiden shoved Lyla out of the elevator and pressed the button to close the doors.

"Here's your stop!" he exclaimed as Mudkip and Skitty scampered out of the elevator to be with her.

"Oh no you don't!" she argued, trying to force herself back into the elevator before the doors closed. He pushed her again and she stumbled back and fell over.

"Ciao!" Eziray taunted from inside. Lyla looked down at her bag and gasped.

"HEY! BE CAREFUL! MY EGG'S IN MY BAG, YOU COULD HAVE BROKEN IT!" she scolded but the door was already closed and the elevator was moving up.

"Aiden," Eziray said with a grin.

"What?"

"I know your deal."

"Excuse me?"

"You wanted Lyla on the lower floors because it's the farthest away from danger. You're so sweet!"

Aiden didn't say anything, he just grinned slightly until the elevator stopped again and the doors opened.

"But you of course didn't want to make that obvious, so that's why you argued with me too. And you're really going to let me go to the top!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Maybe not!" he exclaimed with a mischievous smirk, shoving her out of the elevator. She immediately tried to come back in but Espeon used Psychic to keep her from moving. Charo, Baby, Gracie, and Speedy exited the elevator calmly as the doors closed and Aiden continued to the top.

"You just wait Aiden! I'm going to get you for this!" Eziray called after the elevator which was surely long gone at this point. Inside of the elevator, Aiden seemed quite proud of himself but he suddenly realized something.

"If this elevator makes a noise, whoever is in that room will be aware of our presence…I think it's safer to take the stairs," he concluded, pressing the stop button as soon as the elevator reached the next floor. He knew that this would reset it so the elevator wouldn't go up anymore. Then he, Espeon, and Torchic teleported over to the staircase.

Meanwhile, back on the lower floors, Lyla had come up with a pretty easy method for getting everyone out of the building. In fact, it was so quick and so successful that she was already on the fourth floor. All she had to do was scream one word…

"FIRE!" she shrieked, emerging from the stairs onto the fourth floor. "FIRE! FIRE! EVERYONE HAS TO GET OUT OF HERE _NOW_!"

Panic-stricken, no one bothered to ask who this mysterious girl was. They just wanted to get out as quickly as possible so they piled into the elevator or raced down the stairs and exited the building as fast as they could. Once outside, they of course realized that the building wasn't on fire but the door was locked, so they couldn't get back in.

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed as Lyla began climbing the stairs to go to the fifth floor.

"What?" Lyla asked. Skitty was staring into the room so Lyla looked too. Someone was still there. Lyla muttered to herself about him having to be deaf or something and walked over to him.

"Excuse me!" she yelled angrily.

"Shhhhhh. Not now. I've almost perfected it!" he exclaimed, working as if there was nothing to be worrying about.

"Did you hear me? The building is on _fire_."

"SHHH!"

"Dude! It doesn't matter if you finish it or not! It's just going to be destroyed in the fire anyway. You may as well save yourself!"

"There's no fire."

"_Yes_, there is!"

"The smoke detectors would be going off."

"The security system is down."

"Yes, but the smoke detectors are installed on a completely different system which is functioning just fine at the moment. I should know because I installed it myself. I don't know who you are and I don't really care. Just stay away from me and my machine. Someone else can deal with you. Just leave me alone!"

"…What is it?"

He didn't respond so Lyla knelt down beside him and watched him work.

"When it's finished…this machine will have the power to restore fossils!"

"Restore fossils?"

A few floors up, Eziray hadn't managed to evacuate anyone yet. In fact, everyone on the floor was trying to get rid of her. They didn't believe her when she told them that the building had been infiltrated.

"CHAR! CHAR!" Charo shouted from on top of a desk. Everyone stared at him, trying to understand.

"Charo's right! If WE can infiltrate the building so easily, can't you see that a criminal with training could break in just as well!" Gracie communicated to everyone in the room. The crowd seemed to mull it over for a moment and concluded that it wouldn't hurt to evacuate, but someone spoke up suddenly.

"What if _you're_ the criminal?"

"ME?" Eziray asked, in complete shock.

"Yes, what if you want us all out of here so you can steal our research? I've seen those two gangs recruiting members your age before. I'm not going to be fooled!"

"She's right, neither am I!" someone else exclaimed.

"However, the safety of my co-workers is much more important than the research. I want everyone to leave now. I will escort the girl and keep her out of trouble."

Eziray sighed with relief and no one disobeyed. They all left quietly.

"Thanks," Eziray said.

"I have my eye on you and I have Pokémon too. I am not some pushover so don't you try anything funny!"

"You have my word! Just help me evacuate the rest of the building! They'll all listen to you!"

The researcher nodded and the two proceeded up the staircase.

Meanwhile, Aiden had finally made it to the top floor. He tried to open the door to Mr. Stone's office but it was locked.

"Damn," Aiden thought to himself. Then he stuck his ear to the door to see if he could hear what was going on.

"Fourth floor, huh?" someone said.

"Yes. It is on the fourth floor," someone else replied.

"You better not be lying to me, Mr. Stone. As I said before, that Crawdaunt will destroy everything until he finds what he's looking for. So I really hope it's there, for your company's sake."

"Will your Crawdaunt hurt the researchers working on that floor?"

"As long as they cooperate, they should be fine!"

"Craaaw," something said.

"It appears that we have a fly on the wall," the first person said. Aiden gasped, realizing that a Pokémon in that room had sensed his presence. The door opened and a man scanned the corridor. He was dressed in blue plants with white circles going down the out-thighs. He was also wearing a white and black striped shirt and a blue bandana with some strange, symbol that resembled an upside-down V made from bones with a circle over the middle of it. Aiden and his Pokémon had disappeared so the man saw nothing.

"How strange. I'm sure glad I sent your brother to retrieve those parts," the man said, closing the door. "Your competence is questionable, Crawdaunt."

"Oh, I don't know. I'd say he hit the nail right on the head!" Aiden exclaimed. The man whipped around and saw Aiden standing towards the back of the room. Espeon and Torchic were positioned in front of him, awaiting orders, and Mr. Stone was standing behind him. "If I didn't have a Psychic-type with me, you surely would have caught me!"

"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded.

Coincidentally, back on the fourth floor, the researcher had just asked Lyla the same question. She explained why she had come to Devon Corporation that day and what had happened at the front desk and why she and her friends were trying to evacuate everyone. He smiled and thanked her for her concern. She stood to leave, concluding that there was no way to get him out but she suddenly heard something clacking against metal above her.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. Skitty and Mudkip were staring at the ceiling too.

"CRAAAAAW!" something shouted as explosive bubbles came shooting out of the vent above and the cover came crashing to the ground followed by a large, lobster-like Pokémon.

"MUDKIP!" Mudkip exclaimed, running out in front of Lyla to battle. The Pokémon took no interest in them however and turned to the machine that was being worked on.

"DAAAAAAAUNT!" it exclaimed, blasting the researcher away with a Bubblebeam shot from its claws.

"KIIIIP!" Mudkip cried, shooting the intruder with Water Gun. It didn't affect it at all. The Crawdaunt simply turned around and smashed Mudkip into the ground with its glowing claw. Lyla screamed and dropped to her knees by Mudkip's side. The attack knocked him out cold, so she called him back to his ball and looked up at the Crawdaunt who was stealing two vials of liquid from the machine.

"My…machine," the researcher managed. Then the Crawdaunt took a sheet of paper from the researcher's desk and hopped back into the vent where it came from.

"Don't worry! I'll get it back! I know where the Crawdaunt's going!" Lyla exclaimed, gathering Skitty in her arms and rushing up the stairs. She didn't bother evacuating the rest of the building, but when she caught up to Eziray she yelled that there was a showdown starting at the top. Eziray ran ahead, excitedly, and the researcher with her sped after the two as well.

Back in Mr. Stone's room, Aiden was actually doing quite well. Neither Espeon nor Torchic had a scratch on them, but the Crawdaunt seemed to be pretty battered. Suddenly, the other Crawdaunt hopped down from a vent over the middle of the room and handed what it had stolen to its master.

"Thank you, Crawdaunt. Now both of you, use Bubblebeam!"

Both Crawdaunt opened their claws and teamed up on Espeon with Bubblebeam.

"You okay, Espeon?" Aiden asked.

"I'll be fine," she said, shaking herself.

"Torchic, return!" Aiden exclaimed, calling his weaker Pokémon back. "There's no point in keeping you out. You're only going to get hurt. Espeon, use Morning Sun!"

Sun began shining in through the window and it seemed to heal Espeon's wounds.

"Bubblebeam again!"

Another gang attack of Bubblebeam made its way towards Espeon but she and Aiden were ready for it this time.

"Swift!"

Espeon swung her tail, releasing a flurry of explosive yellow stars that countered the attack, creating an explosion. When it cleared, Espeon had teleported away. Suddenly, the two Crawdaunt became surrounded in blue energy from Espeon's Psychic attack and they were both thrown against the wall. At that moment, Lyla and Eziray busted into the room.

"YOU JUST BROKE DOWN MR. STONE'S DOOR!" the female researcher exclaimed.

"You must be Miss Sinclair. You've grown quite a bit…" Mr. Stone trailed off, somewhat in shock from the entire situation. Lyla grinned.

"Crawdaunt, return!" the grunt exclaimed, calling his two Pokémon back. He was outnumbered at this point and used a smoke ball to escape. When the smoke cleared, Mr. Stone suggested that he had gone to the roof, so the three trainers left the room and climbed one final staircase to the roof. Sure enough, the crook was at the top, about to escape via a glider that had been apparently placed beforehand on the roof.

"Give back what you stole!" Lyla demanded. He simply laughed at her and took off. "Skitty, use Assist!"

Skitty nodded and used Assist. Her body began glowing brightly and Lyla winced.

"Bide?"

"Charo, use Flamethrower!" Eziray ordered. Charo torched the glider and it began to fall but the thief managed to keep it in the air long enough to escape. The group sighed as Mr. Stone and the female researcher came out onto the roof as well.

"Sorry, we didn't get those parts back…" Lyla said, turning to them.

"Not to worry. The two vials of 'Creation Fluid' that he stole were actually just two vials of water. We keep the real stuff locked away someplace safe. And as far as the blueprints go, I have another copy in my desk. But you three did manage to evacuate almost everyone in the building and for that, I'm very grateful. Therefore, I will fix your PokéNav, free of charge and give it back to you during dinner tonight at the finest restaurant in town!"

"We kinda blew all our money on the finest hotel in town so we're going to have to pass," Lyla said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh nonsense, I'll pay the bill of course!" Mr. Stone insisted. The three trainers looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Later that night, at dinner, Mr. Stone returned the fixed PokéNav as promised and told some news that Officer Jenny had told him.

"That man was a member of a gang called Team Aqua," Mr. Stone informed them.

"Oh…I thought he was a pirate…" Eziray said, both confused andslightly disappointed.

"Of course you did," Aiden muttered.

"Team Aqua…that's Team Magma's rival gang. I used to overhear my mother talking about them a lot. I guess she knew someone who helped start the group or something…" Lyla said, frowning. "So that was a real member, huh?"

"Yes, and we're not really sure what they're planning or why they wanted to learn about restoring Pokémon Fossils, but I'm just grateful that no one was hurt," Mr. Stone said with relief.

"But what about the researcher working on the machine? The Crawdaunt attacked him!" Lyla suddenly remembered.

"He's perfectly fine and back to work on that machine. Such a hard worker he is! Anyway, Officer Jenny said that the destroyed glider was found in a tree within a couple blocks of the Devon Corporation, but there was no trace of the crook and they have no idea where he could be. She suspects that he will try to lay low for a few days before attempting to escape the city, so everyone's keeping their eyes peeled for a suspicious blond fellow dressed in blue.

Lyla closed her eyes and drowned out the rest of the conversation with her thoughts. Skitty was the only one to take notice and frowned, knowing that Lyla was dwelling on some painful memories that they both shared.

**Author Notes:**

Although the Team Aqua/Magma events that I describe are quite similar to the ones in the anime/games, I'm trying really hard not to copy them _exactly_. I will be incorporating my own ideas as well as every event that occurs in the anime (with my own touch of course). With that said, I just wanted to say that Lyla's PokéNav and May's PokéNav both receiving water damage and resulting in the characters having to go to Devon to fix it is a complete coincidence. I had the idea before I researched the episode a while back when I happened to drop my phone in the toilet…twice in one week. I thought, "Hm. That would be a good reason to pay Devon Corporation a visit and run into Team Aqua…" Good times *sarcasm* Anyway, I hope you liked it. Read and review!


	10. CH 10 School of Rock

**Chapter 10: School of Rock**

That morning, Lyla had gone off on her own and registered for the contest that would take place the following night. She was on her way back to the hotel when her stomach growled and she realized that she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. She looked around desperately for a place to eat.

"Hm. A café…" she said as she stopped in front of a building. She thought for a moment and then walked inside, up to the front. She took a seat next to a girl who had light brown hair that was extremely long and perfectly straight. She was wearing a purple tank-top with a matching purple beret, black pants, sexy black high heels, and a bracelet around her left wrist which was made up of round, black beads. Lyla watched as the girl sipped her coffee and noticed that she had very beautiful green eyes. As the girl brushed her side bangs out of her face, she looked over and her eyes met with Lyla's.

"Something wrong?" the girl asked.

"Sorry, you look familiar," Lyla admitted, scratching her head.

"You probably saw me on TV or something. I'm a coordinator…"

"Really? Me too! Well, kinda. I mean I'm making my real debut tomorrow night…"

"I see…"

There was a long moment of silence and Lyla looked back at the girl and smiled.

"My name's Lyla," she said, holding out her hand. The coordinator glanced up at her and gave her a stern look.

"And do you expect me to be your friend? How about a word of advice, newbie? There's no such thing as a friend in the contest world. The only one you can trust is the Pokémon that you compete with. If I were you, I would consider every coordinator you meet as an enemy. You won't get hurt that way…Good day," the coordinator said coldly, standing up to leave the café. As she neared the door, she stopped and hesitated for a moment before turning back to Lyla. "I suppose I could at least introduce myself...Name's Selena. I'll see you around I guess…"

And with that, she left.

"That was…weird…" Lyla thought to herself as she looked over a menu.

Back at the hotel, Eziray was preparing for her Rustboro Gym battle.

"Let's see…Someone said that Roxanne uses Rock-types so Speedy has a type advantage, and he definitely gets to battle today. Charo has a type disadvantage but Metal Claw's really effective so I'll use him too. That leaves Gracie and Baby…Sorry Baby, but I think Gracie's gonna fill the third spot," Eziray said. All four of her Pokémon were out of their Pokéballs and three out of the four cheered while Baby sulked quietly.

"Aw don't feel bad, Baby. You can watch from the sidelines with me and Lyla! Eziray will use you next time for sure!" Aiden exclaimed, trying to cheer her up.

"Well if Lyla doesn't get here soon, we're leaving without her!" Eziray declared. "I wonder what's taking so long…"

"Well, she probably stopped to eat breakfast, as normal people tend to do at this hour," Aiden suggested with a sigh. "What are you doing?"

"Writing her a note…"

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to wait anymore. I'm just going to let her know that we went to the gym!"

"Why are you so impatient all of a sudden?"

"I don't know! I'm just so excited, I can't stand it!"

Eziray finished scribbling down information on the note, returned all of her Pokémon and left with Aiden. They eventually arrived at a somewhat large gym. The actual building wasn't that big, but enormous boulders were somehow attached to its sides and its roof, making the gym appear much bigger than it actually was.

The door to this magnificent gym was locked and there was a note hanging on it saying that Roxanne was teaching a class in the Pokémon Trainer's School next door. To kill time, the two decided that it was worth checking out.

Meanwhile, Lyla had returned to the hotel to find Eziray's note. She was a little more than irritated, but thankful that Eziray had at least left her directions. Skitty was asleep on the bed so Lyla woke her up and the two headed down to the gym as well. When Lyla found the note on the door, it made her laugh a little.

"That's karma, Ez. You leave me a note, you get left a note. Now, what's this trainer's school about?" Lyla thought to herself, looking towards the building next door. There was a sign out front advertising a new class for students interested in becoming Pokémon Coordinators. This definitely caught Lyla's attention so she walked inside and asked the receptionist if there was some way she could sit in on the class. The receptionist printed her out a visitor's pass and told her that was fine. Then she handed Lyla a map of the school with the classroom circled on in.

"Welcome to our school's very first Pokémon Coordinators' Class!" an instructor announced as Lyla entered the room and took a seat. Skitty hopped up and sat on top of her desk. "Today we will be covering all of the basic information that you should know as a Pokémon Coordinator. We may also have time for some demonstrations at the end but for now, let's just get started. First I am going to tell you about these."

The instructor took out a ribbon that was pink with a lighter pink boarder. There was a golden hexagon with a crown in the middle of the ribbon and the entire classroom was in awe of it. One girl raised her hand so the instructor called on her.

"That's a ribbon! Those are what you get when you win a Pokémon Contest," the girl said arrogantly. The instructor praised her for her knowledge and she gloated silently. Lyla, of course, felt the urge to outshine this girl so she raised her hand and the instructor called on her as well.

"You need to win five total in order to participate in the Grand Festival, and they have to be won in the region of the Grand Festival that you want to participate in. In other words, you can't enter the Kanto Grand Festival if you have five ribbons from the Hoenn Region," she explained. The other girl stared at Lyla. She didn't look too thrilled either.

"Very good!" the instructor exclaimed. "I see this class is quite informed. Now let me add to the prior statement. There is one exception. If you win a Pokémon Contest called the Wallace Cup, you will receive a ribbon that can count as your five in any region. So I suppose if you were to win the Wallace Cup in each region, you would then be able to participate in every region's Grand Festival each year. Speaking of the Grand Festival, let's talk about that for a little bit. Like the Wallace Cup, it is held once a year. This contest is, however, the most important contest of all. It would be the equivalent to the Pokémon League for coordinators. There is a huge tournament and the winner is given the title of Top Coordinator of that region. Now, as you may or may not know, there is a preliminary round in which a coordinator shows off their Pokémon's talents and if they are good enough to move on, they then have to appeal in a series of battles. They lose points by getting hit, being upstaged, missing their attacks, and so on. The side with the most points at the end of five minutes wins, but if a Pokémon is knocked out and can no longer battle, that side automatically loses."

As she went on, the teacher began to pace. "Now in normal Hoenn contests, a coordinator will use one Pokémon for the entire contest, so it's important to work on your participating Pokémon's endurance and try not to tire it out. But in the Grand Festival, you use multiple Pokémon. The first two days consist of preliminary appeals and you choose two different Pokémon to perform on the two different days. By the end of the two days, only thirty-two coordinators will be selected to move on to the finals. On the third day, you choose two new Pokemon to battle in a double battle against the other thirty-one coordinators. You must demonstrate your versatility so the judges like to see a different combination of Pokémon each round. During an actually battle, you must keep at least one of the two Pokémon from getting knocked out or you will automatically lose. The winner of the Grand Festival will win the Ribbon Cup which is beautiful golden trophy. Now I think that all pretty much covers the basics, in a nutshell. I'll be taking questions at the end of class, so just remember them as they come to you. Next, we'll be watching some demonstrations!"

The instructor took out a video tape and stuck it into a TV in the corner of the room. Lyla dropped her head to her desk.

"A _video_? It's probably some contest I saw on TV a long time ago. I want some hands on experience here…I wonder what Aiden and Eziray are doing…"

Coincidentally, Aiden and Eziray were sitting in on a classroom as well. Unfortunately for them, however, the students were taking a pop quiz so the two trainers were sitting in a silent room, bored out of their minds. Roxanne, the Gym Leader and teacher of the class, noticed that the two had nothing to do so she gave them each a copy of the quiz.

"You probably know all this but it's good review. You sure picked the wrong day to sit in on my class!" she said.

"Boy, I'll say," Eziray muttered, glaring at Aiden.

"I don't even know how you came to the conclusion that it's my fault," he said, reading over the quiz without even looking at her.

"Shhh!" Roxanne hushed before Eziray could reply. She frowned and looked down at her paper.

"Your opponent has just sent out a Weedle (Bug-Type). You should send out your A. Rattata (Normal-Type), B. Caterpie (Bug-Type), or C. Pidgey (Flying-Type)," Eziray read silently.

"Really?" Aiden thought to himself, marking C. "Number two…A red nose, loss of energy, and slight to extreme pain is a sign that A. Your Pokémon is paralyzed, B. Your Pokémon is poisoned, C. Your Pokémon is healthy, D. Your Pokémon is falling asleep."

"Uh…B! Duh," Eziray thought as she read the next question to herself. "Brawly of the Dewford Gym uses what type of Pokémon?"

"Hm. Can we get some multiple choice answers here?" Aiden thought to himself with a sigh. "They must have covered this a lot or something. I'll just leave it blank…Is Eziray stuck on that question too?"

Aiden looked over at Eziray and saw that she was in deep thought. He looked down at her paper and noticed that she was on the same one. Suddenly Roxanne slammed a ruler down on the desk in between them so he looked up at her, completely startled.

"NO CHEATING!" she exclaimed.

"S-sorry," he stuttered.

"I know it's not that big of a deal to you but treat it like it is!" she said. He nodded and looked back at Eziray who was trying as hard as she could not to burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright! Back to the quiz! Um, Brawly. That starts with a B…like bird Pokémon! Brawly must use Flying-Types!" she reasoned to herself. This was of course the wrong answer.

"Free Response: If two Taillow are flying towards each other at sixty miles per hour, how long will it take for them to collide if they had been thirty feet apart to begin with? Uh…is this even relevant?" Aiden thought to himself.

"Well, they wouldn't collide. Not head-on, anyway. One would move out of the way at the last second and the other would keep moving and crash into a tree! That's what would happen if _I_ were the trainer of one of those Taillow, anyway!" Eziray wrote down on her paper.

"Eziray, that's ridiculous," Aiden whispered.

"Stop looking at my paper!" she whispered back.

"Why would I cheat off you? Why does it matter?" Aiden whispered. Eziray raised her hand.

"Can I move someplace else?" she whined.

"You take things waaaaaay too seriously," Aiden muttered, flipping over his paper to look at the backside. He noticed the last question and twitched a little. It was a reminder to students to read the entire test before attempting to answer any questions and as a reward for the ones who did so, they know now to disregard number four. "Well that explains _that_…"

The rest of the test was pretty easy. All of the questions were much like the first two and once everyone handed in their papers, Roxanne smiled and cleared her throat.

"Alright, we're just about done for the day but we still have some time left. How about a live demonstration of a real Pokémon battle? Would you all like to come over to my gym and watch me battle Eziray here?" she asked. The class cheered and bolted out of the classroom in a large pack.

"I'll meet you at the gym," Roxanne said. "My Pokémon are at the Pokémon Center and I have to go get them. Here's the key to the gym. Just give it back to me before the match."

"No problem!" Eziray exclaimed.

Outside the classroom, Roxanne's class was racing down the hallway, being as loud as they possibly could. They happened to pass by the room Lyla was in and the door was open so she got to witness the large group of students stampeding through the building.

"What the hell?" she whispered to herself. Then one suddenly came back and poked his head in through the door.

"Battle at the gym! Roxanne versus some trainer! Come on guys!" he exclaimed. Before the instructor could object, all of the wannabe coordinators stood up, screaming and squealing, and raced out the door. The instructor sighed and both Lyla and Skitty stared blankly for a long time until they eventually left the classroom too.

The gym was packed with students. As Lyla and Skitty looked for a place to sit, Eziray and Aiden noticed her and called her over to them. Eziray would be battling so she offered her place to Lyla and began to stand but a student sitting nearby stood up and called out to Lyla. It was the girl from the class.

"Hey you! You seem to think you know a lot about contests, huh?"

"I answered _one _question," Lyla said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, well just how good are you really? I wanna see for myself! Battle me, now!"

"Battle you? But you're not even a trainer yet! You don't even have a Pokémon!"

"Yes I do! The school lends out one Pokémon to each student, so will you battle me or not?"

"I…guess…"

The two positioned themselves on Roxanne's rocky dirt arena and they both withdrew a Pokéball and tossed it into the air. The crowd of students went wild, chanting 'FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!'

Lyla had sent out Mudkip and her opponent had sent out a Smoochum. The Smoochum was wearing a white tag with a red Pokéball symbol around its neck and Lyla concluded that it meant that this Pokémon belonged to the Pokémon School.

"You first!" the girl said with a grin.

"Lyla sure doesn't play well with others does she? First Olivia, then Rose, now this girl," Eziray said with a sigh as Lyla called her first move.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!"

Mudkip opened his mouth and tried to hit the Smoochum with Water Gun but the girl smiled.

"Confusion!"

Smoochum's eyes began to glow blue as she threw up her arms and stopped the Water Gun from coming closer to her. Instead, it flowed up and bent around, coming right back at Mudkip.

"Muud!" he exclaimed, hopping out of the way. Unfortunately, Lyla didn't get out of the way in time and was sprayed from head to foot with her own Pokémon's attack.

"And here I thought this wasn't going to happen anymore," she muttered.

"Use Confusion again!"

The Smoochum lifted Mudkip from the ground with Confusion and sent him flying up towards the ceiling of the gym. Lyla, remembering her battle with Rose, ordered Mudkip to use Water Gun. Mudkip opened his mouth and shot Water Gun just before he hit the ceiling. The high pressure prevented him from getting any closer to the ceiling and the two Pokémon struggled, trying to overpower each other. To everyone's surprise, the Water-type attack managed to overpower the Psychic-type attack and Mudkip was able to break free of the Confusion.

"MY! I've never seen a Pokémon break free of Confusion before!" Roxanne exclaimed as Mudkip flipped down to the floor with a solid landing. Lyla and her opponent looked towards the door to find the gym leader standing there. The girl immediately went into a panic.

"ROXANNE! I'm sorry! I, uh…" the girl trailed off.

"It's okay. Just make sure you have a proctor watching next time okay? I'm here now so you can continue your battle!" Roxanne exclaimed, sitting down next to Eziray who had made room for her.

"Now Mudkip, use Tackle!"

Mudkip charged forward towards Smoochum with as much power as he possibly could. Roxanne cocked her head.

"Sweet Kiss!"

Smoochum winked at the incoming Mudkip and blew a kiss. This stopped him in his tracks and then he began to act strange; he stood up on his hind legs and danced around for a minute and then began to run circles around the gym.

"He's confused," Roxanne observed.

"But maybe he can still attack. Use Bide!" Lyla ordered, knowing that a Pokémon will often thrash around when confused. She was hoping that Mudkip would do just that and that he would be able to take out Smoochum with Bide, whether he was conscious of it or not. And by some stroke of luck, Mudkip began to glow.

"Awesome!" she exclaimed. Her opponent obviously had no idea what Bide was because she ordered Smoochum to attack Mudkip anyway.

"Use Pound!"

Smoochum ran up to Mudkip and began smacking him around as hard as she could. Then the girl ordered her to finish Mudkip off with Powder Snow. Smoochum opened her mouth and an icy wind with chunks of snow was blow from it. The attack, however, did not make it to Mudkip in time. Both Smoochum and her attack were blown away in a flash of powerful energy. When the light faded, Mudkip was sitting down, rubbing his head with one of his front feet. He was no longer confused. Roxanne began clapping and all of the students cheered. Lyla's opponent frowned and called the Smoochum back to its ball with a sigh.

"I guess you are pretty good. Are you going to be in the contest tomorrow night?" the girl asked. Lyla smiled and nodded. "Then I'll be rooting for you!"

The two girls shook hands and took a seat in the bleachers while Eziray and Roxanne positioned themselves on the field.

"Aiden," Lyla began.

"Yes?"

"I have my first fan!"

He laughed and congratulated her as a referee made his way to the field as well and took his place off to the side. He cleared his throat so that the children would all settle down because they were chattering nonstop at this point. They hushed up pretty quick so he began to speak.

"This will be a two-on-two elimination match and only the challenger may substitute Pokémon," he announced.

"Two-on-two? I thought Hoenn gyms were three-on-three…" Eziray trailed off.

"Every gym has their own rules so some are different than others, Eziray," Roxanne said. "Now, let's begin! Geodude, I choose you!"

"Geodude?" Lyla asked, holding up her Pokédex.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon: Geodude has incredibly high defensive power, making it virtually resistant to any physical attacks," the Dex informed.

"I guess she's gonna use Treecko then?" Lyla asked.

"Don't count on it," Aiden replied.

"Charo, you're up!" Eziray exclaimed, as she tossed his Pokéball. He popped out and cheered.

"A Charmander? But it's a Fire-type! Are you sure you want to use this Pokémon in a Rock-type gym?" Roxanne asked, a bit shocked by Eziray's choice.

"You bet I do!" she exclaimed. The students were all babbling away again. They too were a little surprised by Eziray's decision.

"Well who am I to deny you the right to use whatever Pokémon you wish. I admire your confidence! But we won't be going easy on you even if you do have a pretty significant type-disadvantage. Geodude, use Rollout!"

Geodude began to turn around itself and soon became a rapidly-spinning ball. As it came towards Charo he ducked and put one arm into the air, claws glowing.

"Geodude!" Roxanne exclaimed, but it was so heavy that the momentum it had going could not be easily stopped so it rolled right over Charo's claws and came out of Rollout immediately after, revealing several scratch marks that stretched all the way around its body.

"Oh, I see! Your Charmander knows Metal Claw! I guess your disadvantage isn't so significant now!" Roxanne exclaimed. "But it still may not be enough! Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

Geodude levitated down towards the ground and began punching at it rapidly. This caused large bits of boulder to come flying at Charo but he was ready for them. He and Eziray made eye contact and she nodded so he used Metal Claw again, this time to cut apart all of the rocks that were coming at him. He charged through them, not taking a single hit, and continued toward Geodude.

"Good Charo! Now use Fire Fang!"

"EZIRAY!" Aiden exclaimed.

Charo jumped up, landing on Geodude, and bit into it with its fiery fangs. Geodude was of course as hard as a rock so it hurt Charo just as much, if not more.

"Now that wasn't very well-thought out," Roxanne began, looking down with a smile. "Geodude, use Mega Punch!"

"And neither was _that_!" Eziray called back. Before Roxanne could figure out what she meant, Geodude attempted to knock Charo off by punching it in the back with its glowing fist but Charo simply let go and fell to the ground, causing Geodude to punch itself in the face. Roxanne gasped.

"Well, I can't say we've ever attacked ourselves before! Did you plan that?" Roxanne asked.

"We sure did!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Liar…" Aiden muttered. Charo must have been thinking the same because he was glaring back at Eziray, rubbing the side of his face from having to bite Geodude.

"Very nice!" Roxanne exclaimed, not noticing either of them. "But let's see how you handle this! Geodude, use Rock Tomb!"

Geodude lifted his arms and giant boulders rose from the ground, surrounding and imprisoning Charo.

"Charo!" Eziray exclaimed as the tightly packed boulders crushed him.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there," Roxanne said sweetly. "Use Mega Punch again!"

Geodude came right over to Charo, cocked its arm and then thrust it forward to shatter the boulders as well as Charo but for some reason, it stopped short.

"Geodude? Is something wrong?" Roxanne asked. Geodude was wincing and put its right arm to its left shoulder.

"It's in pain…but why?" Lyla asked.

"Do you see the scorch mark on its shoulder? That's where one of Charo's fangs went in. That one fang must have penetrated enough to leave a burn. Geodude's going to be in pain until it gets treated at the Pokémon Center. Unless Roxanne has something to soothe it," Aiden explained.

"I planned that too!" Eziray exclaimed. Aiden sighed.

"You can't really plan it because Fire Fang doesn't always leave a Pokémon burned. Just sometimes," Aiden added.

"Charo, break free with Metal Claw!"

Charo's claws began to glow and he slashed his way out of the boulders and landed right below Geodude who was still wincing in pain.

"Geodude!" Roxanne called, trying to get it to focus.

"Charo, finish it off with Flamethrower!"

Charo tilted his head upwards and blasted Geodude with an extremely hot Flamethrower. Geodude then fell to the ground beside Charo, unconscious.

"Alright!" Eziray exclaimed as Roxanne called Geodude back.

"Very impressive!" Roxanne praised. "I never knew we would have so much trouble with a Fire-type!"

"Thanks!" Eziray exclaimed. "Charo, take a rest. Let's give Speedy a turn!"

She tossed Speedy's ball into the air and Charo simply stepped back to stand at her side. Speedy popped out and stood at attention, awaiting orders.

"What an obedient Grass-type you have there, but even with the type-advantage, is it still enough to take out this next one? Nosepass, I choose you!" Roxanne exclaimed, tossing a Pokéball into the air.

"That has to be the most unattractive Pokémon I have ever seen," Lyla said, not caring too much if anyone heard her.

"That's Roxanne's strongest Pokémon!" one of the students exclaimed, appalled by Lyla's response to the Nosepass.

"I didn't say anything about it being weak, now did I? I said it's ugly and it is. Its strength is completely unrelated," Lyla said in defense. The boy turned his direction back to the field and began cheering as loudly as he could for the Nosepass. In fact, most of the children were.

"Popular Pokémon…" Eziray trailed off, holding up her Pokédex.

"Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon: Nosepass has a nose that functions as an electromagnet and determines location by moving its nose about," her Dex informed.

"Okay, Speedy, let's get things going with Absorb!"

Speedy held up his arms and two beams of red energy extended and wrapped around Nosepass's body. The Rock-type didn't even react until after Speedy was already draining its energy.

"Slow-moving _and_ slow-thinking. Not a very useful Pokémon, it seems like to me," Lyla said quietly enough so only Aiden could here.

"Don't underestimate it, Lyla. It's a gym leader's Pokémon. Keep that in mind," he replied. "Just look at Roxanne's smile. Do you think she's worried about it?"

Roxanne had one hand on her hip and with the other, she ran her fingers through her long, deep-brown hair and then let her arm fall to her side.

"Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!"

Just like Geodude had trapped Charo, Nosepass made boulders extend from the ground to trap Speedy. The only difference was that Speedy didn't know how to use any moves that could break through these boulders. He slipped his arm through the crack and struggled to free himself but the rocks were too tightly packed for him to simply wriggle out.

"I have to get him out of there somehow," Eziray thought to herself. "Those rocks are crushing him!"

"Nosepass, use Rock Slide!"

Nosepass became outlined in bright blue and so did a nearby boulder. The audience of students began making all sorts of ruckus as the boulder lifted from the ground and flew towards the rocky imprisonment. It crashed into it, causing all of the boulders to break into pieces and come crashing down to the ground. Speedy fell with them and they pretty much buried him alive.

"SPEEDY!" Eziray screamed.

"I'd say he's through," Roxanne said with a slight grin.

"Speedy, can you hear me? Get out of there!" Eziray pleaded. There was a pause and then the sound of rocks shifting around in the pile. Suddenly, a green arm popped out and Speedy pulled himself from the rubble.

"Atta boy!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Hm, so I guess it's not over yet. Not a problem. Nosepass, Rock Tomb again!"

From beneath the rocks, yet another tomb of boulders extended from the ground but Speedy jumped backwards to avoid it and it sunk back into the ground.

"Keep at it. He's already weak. He'll collapse from exhaustion soon."

Rock Tomb after Rock Tomb began popping out of the ground and Speedy dodged each one by running, jumping, and flipping out of the way. But as Roxanne predicted, he was getting pretty tired and starting to slow down.

"Speedy, avoid Rock Tomb by climbing on the walls!"

Speedy, being a gecko, had the ability to cling to things in order to climb them. The walls and ceiling were no exception. He zipped up the wall and across the ceiling until he was hanging right over Nosepass who looked up at him, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Now use Absorb!"

Speedy pulled only one hand from the ceiling because he needed to cling to it with the other hand and two feet in order to keep from falling. He pointed his palm directly at Nosepass and a red beam shot from it, wrapping around Nosepass's body to drain energy for a few moments.

"Clever, but your Treecko isn't exactly safe from our attacks. Nosepass, use Thunderwave! Sparks began to form around Nosepass's nose and then a massive wave of electricity was shot up towards the ceiling.

"Eziray, if Speedy takes that hit, he won't be so speedy anymore. You better get him out of there or he'll be completely paralyzed!" Aiden exclaimed.

"We know that!" Eziray whined. "Speedy, release!"

Speedy released his grip and somersaulted down to the ground, landing gracefully in front of Nosepass.

"I've never seen a Rock Pokémon use an Electric attack before!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Did you forget about the electro-magnet in his nose?" Roxanne asked, grinning widely. "Nosepass, use Sandstorm!"

Nosepass' nose began to glow brightly as some grains of sand were discharged from it. Soon, there was a roaring sandstorm throughout the gym and no one could see the two Pokémon.

"Treee…" Treecko trailed off, squinting.

"Rock Tomb now, Nosepass!"

There was a loud thud from Nosepass stomping its foot on the ground and then a rocky imprisonment rose up from under Speedy and trapped him. When the sand cleared, everyone could see this. And like before, Speedy could only manage to stick out one arm.

"I'd say it's time to finish this up!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"Not even! Speedy, use Absorb with your free hand!"

Speedy flattened his palm and a red beam emitted from it and wrapped around Nosepass who began to cry out because these Grass-type attacks were starting to weaken it.

"Can you use Zap Cannon, Nosepass?"

Nosepass' nose began to glow brightly and it sparked violently for a few seconds before a massive blast of electricity shot from it towards Speedy.

"Speedy, use Detect!"

Speedy began to glow blue, and not only did the Zap Cannon simply part around him, but the Rock Tomb slowly sunk back into the ground as well.

"It seems that Rock Tomb doesn't just trap a Pokémon. The boulders crush the Pokémon too and Detect prevents a Pokémon from taking any damage. She should have been using that move from the start," Aiden said.

"Looks like you won't be using Rock Tomb anymore," Eziray said cheerfully. "Now it's time for _us_ to finish this up. Speedy, use Quick Attack! Spin him around and around!"

Speedy raced forward and ran circles around Nosepass who walked around, trying to keep its eyes on its Grass-type opponent. It was, however, getting to be very dizzy.

"Nosepass is looking pretty unstable there, Roxanne. And you know what they say! 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall.' Nosepass looks pretty heavy to me. Speedy, use Pound!"

Speedy leaped up into the air and came somersaulting back down, slamming his tail into Nosepass' body with as much force and momentum it could build up. Nosepass hit the ground hard, and thanks to the three successful Absorb attacks that Speedy had managed to pull off during the battle, this physical attack was enough to knock the Nosepass out. Eziray's face lit up and she cheered happily as Roxanne returned her fallen Pokémon and smiled.

"My, my! Taken out by a physical attack? We surely weren't expecting that," she said and met Eziray in the middle to shake hands and award her with a badge: the Stone Badge, which was a shiny golden badge that looked like the tops of two triangles, with their points facing outwards, and they were conjoined by a tiny rectangle piece. Roxanne held it out to Eziray who took it gently and held it up to admire it. Then she ran over to show her friends.

"My first Hoenn badge, guys!" she exclaimed, holding it up as it shined.

"Congratz, Ez!" Lyla cheered.

"You, Charo and Speedy did great out there!" Aiden praised.

"Thanks!" Eziray exclaimed. Then she turned to Roxanne who was dictating notes about the battle to her students. Their eyes met and they both smiled at one another and Eziray thanked her once again for the battle and the badge. Then the three trainers left the gym together.

That night, Lyla was sitting on her bed in the hotel, polishing her egg with a small towel that the hotel had provided in the bathroom.

"So today was Eziray's big day, but tomorrow is yours, Lyla," Aiden said, taking a seat on the bed beside hers.

"Yeah, I'm really nervous," she said, looking down at her egg in admiration. "But…this egg is proof that I'm good right? I'll be fine, right?"

Aiden laughed and said he hoped so then he asked who she would be using. She smiled and looked down at Skitty who was curled up and sleeping beside her.

"Skitty, huh? Again?"

"Why not? She was my first Pokémon. She deserves to debut with me in my first contest!"

"You have a point there, and I'm sure she'll be great. You both will!"

Lyla blushed and looked back down at her egg, wondering when and what it would hatch into.


	11. CH 11 Lyla's Debut

**Chapter 11: Lyla's Debut**

"Have you guys seen a greenish card anywhere? It's got an image of a big blue ribbon in the middle of it and a little golden rectangle in the bottom right corner. It's got some serial number on it in black. It's about yay-big," Lyla said, forming a rectangle about the size of a credit card in the air with her fingers.

"Can't say I have," Eziray said with a frown. Lyla let out a whining sound of panic and continued to throw garments from her bag to the floor.

"Well if you see it, can you _please_ let me know?" she pleaded desperately.

"Ohhhhh Lyla!" Aiden exclaimed, walking in with a card that matched her description perfectly. She dropped everything and ran to him, yanking it from his hand excitedly.

"Where did you find it?" she asked, looking down at it with a big grin.

"You left it on the table in the other room. Is that your contest pass?"

"It sure is! I mean I've already used it to register for the contest but I might need it to check in tonight. Speaking of which, how are you feeling Skitty? You ready?"

"MYA!" Skitty exclaimed.

"So, do you know what you two are gonna do for the appeal in the preliminary round?" Aiden asked, out of curiosity. The excitement was suddenly drained from Lyla's face and panic took its place.

"I'm guessing that's a negative," Eziray said. Lyla immediately ripped off three sheets paper from a pad of paper provided by the hotel and passed one to Eziray and another one to Aiden.

"Guys! Help me! Brainstorming! NOW!" she exclaimed.

"This really isn't my forte," Eziray said, folding the paper into an airplane before tossing it into the trashcan. "But Aiden will help you!"

"And where are _you_ going?" Aiden asked as Eziray got up to leave.

"To train! Shouldn't it be obvious? We had _way_ too much trouble with that gym than we should have! I mean it's the _first gym_!" Eziray exclaimed, leaving before anyone could voice any objection. Aiden and Lyla sighed but then Lyla looked up at Aiden and smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing…I just kinda like it when we're alone together. I'm not sure why," she said, blushing a little.

"It certainly is quieter, isn't it?"

"Mhm!"

There was silence for a few moments as the two reflected about what to say to each other. Aiden looked as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating. Lyla cocked her head and asked him if there was anything on his mind. He didn't respond right away but told her it was nothing, just that they should probably get to work now. Then Lyla remembered what they were supposed to be doing and began to panic again.

"I don't even know where to begin!" she whined. "Should I just re-use the appeal I used in that unofficial contest?"

"Nah, no need for that! Let's see…You want to make the audience and judges _love_ Skitty, right?"

"Of course!"

"Well what are Skitty's most loveable traits?"

"She's smart…coordinated…friendly…_absolutely adorable_…"

"Maybe you should try emphasizing some of those traits in your appeal. Skitty's not an elegant Pokémon so it would be hard to try to make beautiful and dazzling appeals with her. You should try to imagine something that would better suit her. I mean it's obvious that she's a cute Pokémon, but with the right appeal, she could really make that audience's hearts melt. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yea, I know exactly what you mean and I think you're onto something there…since when did _you _know so much about how to make good contest appeals?"

"Let's just say you're not the only coordinator I've been this close to…"

"Oh?"

"It's not important though…"

At that moment, there was a loud crash as something struck a trashcan in the street below the nearest window. There was a ball of yarn sitting on the edge of the dresser and the slight vibration from this caused it to fall off and roll across the floor. Aiden got up and took a look outside to find Eziray jumping up and down for joy with Baby at her side. They were both standing next to a smoking trashcan, lying on its side with a huge dent right in the center of it. At the center of the dent was a pretty large hole with blackened edges.

"It's just Eziray vandalizing shit again," Aiden said as he sat down on the floor across from Lyla. She wasn't paying any attention to him; she was looking straight ahead with a slight grin on her face so Aiden turned his head to see what had caught her attention and he saw Skitty rolling around with the ball of yarn that had fallen.

"Skitty, I love you," Lyla said.

"Aww, where'd she get that?" Aiden asked.

"I brought some yarn with me from home in case I got bored and wanted to knit something. I set one on the dresser when I was going through my stuff this morning. But that doesn't matter because Skitty just gave me the perfect idea for her preliminary appeal tonight!"

"And what's that?"

"I guess you're just going to have to sit in the audience and find out, now won't you?"

"I suppose I just might!"

The two laughed a little and Lyla looked up at him, smiling and cocking her head a little.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No…I just realized how much I like your beauty mark…"

She reached up with one hand to touch it and softly stroked that small area of his face.

"Oh that? I hate it. It's ugly," he said, smiling a little. Then he put his hand over hers and she stopped moving it and they just stared at each other for a moment until Aiden began to lean forward but the hotel room's door suddenly swung open and Eziray came rushing in, shouting about something.

"Of course," Aiden thought to himself. The two dropped their hands to their sides so quickly that Eziray didn't suspect a thing.

"What is it, Ez?" Lyla asked.

"Come see! Come see! Come see!" she exclaimed, running back out. Lyla, Skitty and Aiden followed her out to the street where she had wrecked the trashcan. Now there was a new one that she had found nearby.

"Eziray, we're gonna get in trouble. Stop vandalizing public property..." Aiden trailed off.

"Baby, use Dragon Rage!" Eziray ordered.

An orange orb formed at Baby's mouth and then a cyclone of fiery orange energy spiraled out from it and destroyed the trash can in front of them.

"WOW! That one was even bigger than the last one! Good job, Baby!" Eziray praised.

"HEY YOU KIDS!" some old man called from a hotel window up above before Aiden or Lyla had a chance to say anything.

"Run," Eziray said, taking off.

"Don't you run away! I am calling the police!" the man called. Lyla and Aiden stared at him for a moment and couldn't help but laugh a little. As soon as he stepped away from the window to call Officer Jenny, Lyla and Aiden took off after Eziray.

"You're always getting us in trouble, Ez! And now you've brought Lyla into it too!" Aiden exclaimed as soon as they caught up to Eziray.

"_I_ brought Lyla into it? I seem to remember _you_ recruiting her, mister!" Eziray said with a laugh, still running.

"Yeah, I invited her. _You_ pretty much _kidnapped _her!" Aiden corrected.

"I guess I did, didn't I?" Eziray said cheerfully.

"Relax, guys! I'm having fun!" Lyla exclaimed as she ran ahead of them. She noticed a craft supplies store up ahead and wondered if they sold yarn there. She figured that going back to the hotel for it would be a bad idea. Unfortunately, she was so focused on it that she didn't see someone standing there and ran right into him.

"Owwww," she whined, now sitting on the floor.

"So we meet again," the boy said, extending his hand to help her up. She didn't hit him with enough force to knock him over; she just startled him a little. She scratched her head and looked up. It was Noah.

"S-sorry," she said, grabbing onto his hand so he could pull her up.

"Still a little on the careless side, huh?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"What was that?" she asked, suddenly offended. At that moment, Aiden and Eziray arrived and greeted him.

"Don't mind Lyla, she's a little edgy right now because she's performing in her first contest tonight," Eziray said, noticing that Lyla didn't look too happy.

"Ah, so you're a coordinator. It suits you! You don't look like the powerful trainer-type to me," Noah said, not at all trying to be offensive but it seem that way to Lyla and she became even angrier.

"Come on, Lyla, let's go get some yarn," Aiden suggested, steering her in the direction of the craft supplies store.

"So, I have more than three Pokémon now. How about a re-match?" Eziray challenged.

"Sorry, I got a match against Roxanne tonight so I need to conserve my Pokémon's strength. But show me what you got? I love seeing new Pokémon and all these Hoenn species really excite me," Noah said. Eziray smiled and let out Speedy and Gracie.

"Very cool," he said, looking them over.

"Tee-hee! You look funny!" Gracie exclaimed with a very bubbly laugh.

"Gracie! Be nice!" Eziray demanded.

"Don't worry about it, I suppose I look like a bad person to people who don't know me," Noah said with a smile.

"Why do you have a little metal ball on your tongue?" Gracie asked, naively.

"It's a tongue ring," he said, sticking his tongue out so she could see.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurt a little when I got it but now it doesn't hurt anymore."

"What's that?"

"This?" he asked, touching the tattoo on his neck.

"Yeah!"

"It's a tattoo. This hurt very much when I got it but I got it because it represents what matters most to me. You see…this symbol means 'friendship.'"

"Then it's a beautiful tattoo!" Gracie concluded with great joy. He laughed.

"So Eziray, have you challenged Roxanne?" he asked.

She took out a golden, rectangular case with a red Pokéball-like image on it and popped it open to reveal the Stone Badge.

"So you already got it huh?"

"Yep! Oh! Watch out for her Nosepass, it uses electrical attacks!"

"Does it now?"

"Yep! And her Geodude is super strong! I wouldn't let your Tailow anywhere near that gym!"

"Well of course not! So, hey, are you three off to Dewford next? It's an island and there's a gym there. There's a ferry somewhere here in Rustboro City! I'm not quite sure where but if you have a map, you should be able to find it."

"Really? Sweet! We'll leave first thing in the morning!"

"Right on! Well I oughta get going. Tell Lyla that I'm sorry and I wish her luck in her contest."

"Will do!"

Noah and Eziray shook hands and then he walked away. A few moments later, Aiden and Lyla emerged from the craft supplies store with a plastic bag. Lyla looked much happier now.

"Yarn?" Eziray asked, looking into the bag.

"Don't ask," the other two said in unison.

"Alright, alright! So where are we going, anyway?" Eziray asked. "I mean where is the contest?"

"Well, Rustboro Hall is almost a day's walk from here. It's on the outskirts of Rustboro pretty much," Lyla said, grinning.

"Then how do you plan to compete at seven o'clock tonight?" Eziray asked.

"The better question is how you managed to get there, register, and come back all in one morning yesterday," Aiden said.

"There's a tram!" Lyla exclaimed.

They followed her to a tram station that took people from the center of Rustboro to Rustboro Hall. It was cheap but those with Contest Passes got on for free. Aiden and Eziray, on the other hand, had to dig for change in their bags in order to pay the fee. Ten minutes later, all three of the trainers and Skitty were loaded aboard a tram and well on their way to Rustboro Hall. Once they got there, they could see all of the coordinators gathered with their Pokémon. Some were training, some were grooming their Pokémon, and some were feeding their Pokémon tiny cubes of all different colors.

"What are those and why does everyone have them?" Eziray asked.

"Those are called Pokéblocks. They're candies made from berries that make Pokémon healthier. I've heard that they're very nutritious. I guess different Pokéblock are created by mixing different berries," Lyla explained.

"Where can we make some?" Eziray asked, suddenly excited to try them.

"I'm not all too sure…" Lyla trailed off, scanning the area.

"Are you looking for someone or something?" Aiden asked.

"What? No! What makes you think that?" Lyla asked nervously. He laughed.

"Relax! You just seem a little anxious about something. Is someone you know competing as well?"

"…No. It's nothing."

Lyla walked off towards the large, dome-shaped Contest Hall. The roof was purple and had a large billboard sign centered on it. This sign was red in the upper-left corner and the bottom-right corner, there was a yellow diagonal stripe going through the middle from the other two corners, and on this yellow stripe was a red image of a ribbon and the words 'Pokémon Competition' in black. Below the roof, the building was yellow and formed arches at the bottom every few feet. Inside these arches were glass doors that led into the building. The three trainers and Skitty entered.

"Hello again! I registered yesterday and I'm kind of new to this so I was just wondering if I needed to check in or anything," Lyla said to the receptionist, handing over her Contest Pass. The receptionist scanned it and Lyla's profile came up on the computer. It had her picture and Skitty's picture on the screen but the box labeled 'ribbons' was empty. The receptionist turned to them and wanted to make sure that Lyla would be using Skitty that night. Lyla nodded so the receptionist told her that she was all set and not to be late.

Once outside, the trainers decided to split off and practice separately. Eziray went off to further improve Baby's Dragon Rage, Lyla went off with Skitty to practice their preliminary appeal, and Aiden sat outside Rustboro Hall, playing his guitar. Coincidentally, someone had discarded an old tin can and people began throwing money in it as they passed by Aiden.

"Well this is slightly degrading," he muttered. He didn't want to seem like a beggar but he didn't do anything about it because they were so broke.

Six o'clock rolled around and people began to enter the building so Lyla decided to do the same. When she got to the doors, there were a flock of girls gathered around Aiden, squealing and such. His tip jar was overflowing with bills and he was still playing, but also answering all of the girls' questions at the same time.

"So are you like famous in the Kanto region?"

"Not even! I mean a lot of people know about me but not everyone…I guess I'm famous in Celadon City. That's where I came from."

"Do you have any Pokémon?"

"Yes…"

"CAN I SEE!"

"Me too! Oh please let me see!"

"Will you show us, Aiden?"

Lyla cocked her head and put her hands on her hips.

"Sorry ladies, he already has an annoying groupie," she said in reference to Olivia, picking up the can and taking Aiden by the hand. She led him into the contest hall and he thanked her.

Surprisingly, Eziray was already inside. She asked them what took so long and Lyla told her about Aiden's new fans. Eziray laughed and said it's pretty typical, and then she and Aiden walked down the corridor that led to the audience while Lyla headed down the corridor that led to the waiting room for coordinators. There was a TV hanging from the ceiling that would be broadcasting all of the performances and battles to the coordinators who were waiting. A woman appeared on the stage and began to speak.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Rustboro Pokémon Contest! My name is Vivian and it is my pleasure to be your emcee today! First off, I would like for you all to meet our judges! First on the judging panel, we have Contesta, the director of the Pokémon Contest Committee. Next, we have Mr. Sukizo from the Pokémon Enthusiast's Fan Club! And finally, we have Rustboro City's very own Nurse Joy!" the woman announced. She had medium-length, curly brownish-orange hair and blue eyes. She had a beauty mark just below her left eye and dark pink lipstick on her lips. She was wearing white gloves, a black choker, a puffy short-sleeved shirt that matched her lipstick, a puffy pink skirt that fell to her knees, and red high heels that were close-toed.

The three judges were sitting at a panel on the stage, facing both the field and the audience. Contesta was an older man, he had short grey hair that was slicked back and he was wearing a red tuxedo with gold buttons and a black bow tie. Mr. Sukizo was a little on the short side and his brown hair was even shorter than Contesta's. He was wearing a blue tuxedo with a red tie he seemed like a very pleasant man. Nurse Joy was dressed as she usually was and she appeared very happy to be there.

On the stage, there was a plain dirt field marked as any other battle field except there was a big red ribbon painted right in the center of it. There were rows and rows of seats facing the stage, as if it were a play, filled with audience members impatiently anticipating the performances. Aiden and Eziray were seated right in the front.

"Now, you're really going to enjoy this performance, folks. We haven't seen this one perform in quite a while! I'd you all to welcome Selena and her beautiful Butterfree to the stage!" Vivian announced as Selena appeared on stage.

"It's her," Lyla thought to herself.

"Butterfree, all eyes on you!" Selena exclaimed as she threw a Pokéball into the air. A Butterfree popped out, twirling amongst a vortex of orange powder.

"And they make a beautiful entrance with Stun Spore!" Vivian observed.

"Butterfree, use Secret Power!"

The Butterfree's entire body began to glow pink and it began to twirl, releasing a wave of pink energy which it sent flying upwards. As the ring of pink energy rose, it began to close and Butterfree's body returned to normal.

"Now use Psybeam!"

Butterfree's eyes began to glow purple and then it shot bright purple beams that spiraled around each other up towards the wave of energy. The two moves collided in a bright explosion, like fireworks, and Butterfree began to flap its wings rapidly.

"And Silver Wind for the finale!"

Two waves of sparkling wind blasted from each of Butterfree's wings and curved upward, twisting around each other and expanding to form a perfectly symmetrical rose bud above Butterfree. Once this was accomplished and shown off for a few seconds, Butterfree suddenly halted its flapping, the wind flows ceased and bits of shimmering powder rained down over the stage and the audience.

"What a beautiful performance!" Nurse Joy exclaimed.

"And I especially liked how much control it has over its Silver Wind attack. Well done!" Contesta added.

"I found it simply remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo concluded.

"She's really good," Lyla thought to herself as two nine-point-fives and a ten appeared on the computer screens below the judges.

Lyla wasn't dead last to perform, but she had to wait quite a long time to perform. With each appeal, she grew more nervous because these performances were nothing like the ones she witnessed at the unofficial contest. They were all _really_ good. She had no idea that some of those attacks could be used the way they were and she was beginning to think that her appeal wasn't going to make the cut. She began to express her doubts to Skitty who then used DoubleSlap to snap her out of it. Skitty knew that their appeal was going to be great too, and now they would have the chance to prove it. It was their turn.

"Please welcome our next contestant, all the way from Lavaridge Town, making her very first appearance as a coordinator, Lyla! And with her is her darling little Skitty!" Vivian announced as Lyla and Skitty walked onto the stage side-by-side. The crowd cheered and she got a little nervous but took in a deep breath and smiled, taking out a ball of blue yarn.

"Skitty want this?" she asked, cocking her arm back and tossing it just enough for it to roll across the stage.

"MYA!" Skitty exclaimed, chasing after it. When she caught up to it, she pounced on it playfully and nibbled on it a little as she rolled over onto her back. The she began tossing it into the air and catching it with her two front paws repeatedly.

"Awwww!" Eziray exclaimed. "Skitty's so cute!"

Lyla smiled and tossed a ball of yellow yarn to Skitty right as the blue ball of yarn went up. Skitty caught this new yellow one and tossed it up immediately after and then the blue again once it came down. She continued tossing them both up at different times. Then Lyla added a green ball of yarn while both of the others were in the air. Skitty continued throwing them all up and then everyone realized that she was juggling them.

"Now use DoubleSlap!"

Skitty slowly tucked her tail in against her body and used it to smack the balls up into the air instead of using her paws. Then she carefully set her paws on the ground to her right and pushed herself over and up so that she was standing on all fours once again, successfully keeping all of the balls of yarn in the air with her tail. Then she used DoubleSlap as rapidly as she could so she could juggle them faster and faster. After a few seconds, she began to move again, carefully shifting all of her weight to her two front legs and lifting her two back legs into the air. Then she paused and continued juggling them in a headstand position. The audience went wild over her cuteness and even the judges seemed entertained.

"Keep it up, Skitty!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Myaaaa," Skitty meowed as she shifted all her weight to her right paw and lifted her head and her left paw from the ground, now juggling while standing on only one front leg.

"Alright, now let em go!"

Skitty gave each ball one final smack. The green one flew into the audience somewhere and someone caught it so they jumped up and down and held it into the air excitedly as if it were a diamond, Vivian caught the yellow one, and the blue one went straight up into the air so Skitty jumped up after it and caught it in her mouth before somersaulting back down to the ground. Then she released it and it rolled a few inches back.

"Myaaa!" she exclaimed happily, cocking her head.

The crowd cheered and she picked up the ball of yarn in her mouth and brought it back to Lyla, dropping it in her trainer's hand. Then the Kitten Pokémon rubbed her body against Lyla's legs, purring, so Lyla bent down to stroke her and then picked her up to nuzzle her.

"Simply _adorable_!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed.

"It almost makes _me_ want a Skitty!" Nurse Joy added.

"I especially liked the fact that they pulled off a decent appeal with only one move! It's important not to overdo things and I think they did very well for their first performance. I hope to see them in the next round!" Contesta concluded.

"How cute were they?" Vivian exclaimed. "Give em some love, guys!"

The crowd cheered even louder as Lyla and Skitty left the stage. Lyla was happy but blushing bright red at this point.

"So she understands…" Selena thought to herself. "Most people think up these fancy appeals that look cool to them but tacky to the judges. What they don't realize is that judges prefer to see the Pokémon's character demonstrated through the appeal. Perhaps it was a fluke…Either way, I'm going to keep my eye on this one."

The last few appeals went by pretty slowly because Lyla was so eager to know if she made the cut or not, but they were finally all over and the judges were making a list of the highest scores. There was a large screen on the wall behind them and images of coordinators began to appear on it. Selena's image appeared first, followed by three other coordinators. Then three more coordinators' images appeared below them and finally, Lyla's image appeared.

"She made the cut!" Eziray cheered, standing up with her fists in the air.

"CHAAAR!" Charo exclaimed, sticking his arms up in the air as well.

"Go Lyla!" Gracie added, jumping up and down.

Baby and Speedy remained quiet but Baby at least looked happy about it. Speedy looked like he didn't really want to be there.

"Eziray, must you bring everyone out to watch?" Aiden asked on behalf of all the people craning their necks around the four Pokémon to see.

The images began to scramble around on the screen and Eziray sat back down, giving him a look as if that were the dumbest question he had ever asked.

"You have your Pokémon out too," she muttered.

"Just Torchic and he's sitting in my lap, being quiet and out of the way…" Aiden trailed off, looking up at the stage. Lyla and another coordinator were positioned on the battle field and Aiden realized that Lyla was first up to battle.

"Wait, why is she first?" Eziray asked.

"The computer jumbled up the names and picked matches at random," Aiden replied.

Skitty was already out and ready, standing at attention in front of Lyla. The other coordinator threw a Pokéball in the air and a Makuhita popped out in front of him.

"Oh boy," Aiden said. "Judging by its fists, it's definitely a Fighting-type."

"Poor Skitty," Gracie said. "If only I could help…"

"Stay out of it, Gracie! And have some faith in them!" Eziray exclaimed.

"You may begin when ready!" Vivian announced.

"Okay, we're probably going to need long-range attacks for this battle, so use Assist!" Lyla exclaimed.

A glowing white orb formed at the end of Skitty's paw and Mudkip's Water Gun shot from it.

"Block it!"

Makuhita threw up its arms and crossed them in front of its face and chest. The water hit but shot of both sides of him and then Makuhita dropped its arms, revealing that it hadn't taken any damage.

"This Makuhita is strong," Eziray thought to herself.

"Use Focus Punch!"

Makuhita charged forward, fist glowing, and tried to thrust it into Skitty who flipped out of the way. Makuhita tried another overhand swing, but Skitty dodged that one as well. It then tried a third time but Skitty was just too quick for it.

"Keep it up, Skitty!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Switch it up, buddy!"

Skitty, expecting another overhand Focus Punch, ducted for the fourth punch but then Makuhita's other fist came up from underneath her and slammed into her. It wasn't Focus Punch, however, because it sent electrical sparks pulsing through her body and she stood for a moment as if she couldn't move.

"You've just witnessed a Thunderpunch, folks! And it looks as if this one's left Skitty paralyzed!" Vivian announced. Lyla gasped.

"_Paralyzed_? How are we supposed to win now?" Lyla thought to herself.

"Alright, Makuhita! Let's see your specialty!"

One of Makuhita's fists began to glow blue as a stream of icy energy formed around it while its other fist ignited into a flame. It hit Skitty with its Ice Punch and its fist immediately began to glow yellow with electricity. Then it slammed its other fist into Skitty and the flames vanished as it became Ice Punch again. Then it hit it again with the Thunderpunch which turned into Fire Punch, and it continued hitting Skitty and rotating the attacks, getting faster and faster until all that could be seen was bursts of color as Skitty was being knocked around.

"Beautiful and effective! Will Skitty survive this?" Vivian exclaimed.

"Skitty, use Iron Tail!"

Skitty's tail began to glow and she managed to whip it around to block the elemental fist moves. She brought it up just in time to stop a fire punch so both of Makuhita's fists ceased their glowing and Skitty took that opportunity to jump back and avoid further damage.

"Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off all of a sudden, cringing from the paralysis.

"Skitty!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Quick, while it can't move. Finish it off with Strength!"

Makuhita began to glow blue as it picked Skitty up and hurled her up into the air with great force.

"Lyla! She's going to crash through the ceiling!" Eziray cried.

"Skitty, use the momentum!"

Skitty began somersaulting and the other coordinator gritted his teeth, realizing that Strength was helping her rather than hurting her. Vivian made a comment about how Skitty looked like she was an acrobat who had been shot out of a cannon.

"Iron Tail!"

As Skitty reached the ceiling, she shoved off it with her feet and her tail began to glow. The momentum that she picked up as she somersaulted back down, along with the weight of glowing tail, caused Iron Tail to hit with much greater force than usual. And because it hit the Makuhita square in the head, it knocked him out instantly.

Lyla was declared the winner and she carried Skitty back into the lobby. Skitty was still paralyzed and Lyla was trying to figure out what to do with her.

"Here…"

Lyla looked up and the coordinator who she had just beaten was standing in front of her, holding out a spray bottle.

"It's a Paralyze Heal. It'll cure your Skitty's paralysis. You're pretty good for a newbie. I'd feel bad if I took away your chance of winning this contest now…" he trailed off. Lyla smiled and reached for the bottle.

"Hold it," Selena said all of a sudden, approaching the two.

"Selena…" the coordinator trailed off.

"If she were a good coordinator, don't you think she would have been prepared for a situation like this? She doesn't deserve your help," Selena said coldly.

"You're right…" the coordinator trailed off, putting away his Paralyze Heal before walking away. Selena turned to Lyla.

"Sorry, sweetie. You do agree that I have a point there, don't you?"

"The only problem with your 'point' is that Lyla _did _come prepared," Aiden said, entering the room with a green box. He set it down next to Lyla, unlatched it, and popped it open. The box was completely full of three varieties of berries.

"These are…" Lyla trailed off.

"The berries you picked on the way to Rustboro. I borrowed some. Sorry for not giving it back," he said.

"I see…" Selena said with a smile as she walked away.

"Damn, I'm a bad liar," he said with a frown as soon as she was out of hearing distance.

"Where did these berries come from?" Lyla asked.

"_I_ picked them on the way to Rustboro and then I learned what each one does in Roxanne's class," he said. "The red ones are Cheri Berries; those will cure Skitty's paralysis. Just feed her one and she'll be feeling better in no time. Feed her a blue one or two as well. Those are Oran Berries and they'll make her stronger when she's weakened. The pink ones are Pecha Berries and those will help if she gets poisoned. That's all I have so I hope you don't have any other problems!"

"Thanks Aiden, you're the best!" Lyla said, feeding a Cheri Berry to Skitty. "Feeling better, Skitty?"

"MYAAA!" Skitty exclaimed. Lyla petted her and fed her an Oran Berry too, looking up at the screen to see Selena's Butterfree finishing off a Slugma with a beautiful Silver Wind attack.

"Nervous?" Aiden asked.

"That was quick…Selena seems really good."

"Want me to sit with you until it's your turn again?"

Lyla nodded so he took a seat next to her for the next two battles. The winner of the first was a coordinator and her Vigoroth. The winner of the second was a coordinator and his Lombre. Lyla was up next and she would be facing the coordinator with the Vigoroth. She got up to leave but Aiden grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't forget about Eziray's battle. Remember when she battled Norman? Charo lost pretty badly to that Vigoroth because of its speed. And don't forget that Charo's stronger than Skitty. I'm not trying to scare you; all I'm saying is be careful and try to strategize a way to deal with that speed."

Lyla nodded and as she made her way to the stage, Aiden made his way back to the audience where Torchic and Charo had been saving his spot.

"If we win this, we can go on to the final round!" Lyla thought to herself. "We can do this, Skitty!"

"Vigoroth, come out!" the other coordinator exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball into the air.

"How are we going to deal with its speed? It's going to be able to dodge physical attacks just as easily as long-range attacks. Mudkip's Bide would hit though…provided that the Vigoroth does any damage. So should we try Assist? It looks like she wants us to make the first move…" Lyla trailed off.

**Author Notes:**

It started getting pretty long so I decided to split it up. Not much to say about this chapter other than the fact that Lyla now has a rival. Gwen wasn't exactly a major character, but Selena definitely is. She's not a new coordinator like Lyla, she actually has five ribbons already. The only reason why she decided to compete was so that one less ribbon would be awarded to a coordinator that she would eventually have to compete with in the Grand Festival. That's what she tells herself anyway. The real reason is because she had a hunch about Lyla and decided to examine her skills. Anyways, please feel free to leave a review if you liked or even didn't like! I love to hear from you guys =3


	12. CH 12 Dewford Bound

**Chapter 12: Dewford-Bound**

"Alright folks, the semi-finals have now begun! The winners of the next two matches will move on to the final round in which they will compete for this, the Rustboro Ribbon!" Vivian announced, holding up a pink ribbon that was exactly like the one Lyla had seen in the coordinator class at the Trainer's School.

"That ribbon is gonna be mine," Lyla told herself in an attempt to boost her confidence.

"In case you were late or haven't been paying attention, on the stage we have Lyla from Lavaridge Town with her darling Skitty and Karen from Oldale Town and her powerful-looking Vigoroth. Without further ado, let the battle begin!" Vivian announced.

"Skitty, let's start things off with Assist!" Lyla exclaimed, trying to avoid using physical attacks. Her attempt was in vain, however, because the Assist resulted in Mudkip's Tackle and she bolted forward toward Vigoroth with great force.

"You can dodge that," Karen said as Vigoroth simply turned its body sideways to avoid the attack.

"Mya?" Skitty said, realizing that she had charged right past her target.

"Now use Fury Swipes!"

The Vigoroth lunged at Skitty and began slashing away with its sharp claws.

"Assist again!"

Skitty turned her head and a glowing orb formed in her mouth and Water Gun was shot from it, knocking the Vigoroth all the way to the other side of the stage. The high-pressured blast of water created a mist as it beat against Vigoroth's body and the wall at the other side. Although it was pretty and caused Karen to lose some points, this sparkling mist allowed Vigoroth to momentarily disappear and zip around, reappearing behind Skitty.

"Fury Swipes once more!"

"Not so fast, Skitty, block it with Iron Tail!"

The Vigoroth brought one arm down to slash at Skitty but she brought up her brightly glowing tail to force its claws away from her, and then she swung around and slammed her tail into the Vigoroth's stomach. It was knocked away and landed on its back, appearing to be out-cold.

"What, is it over?" Lyla asked.

"Not quite," Karen said with a smile. Suddenly, the Vigoroth vanished in a puff of smoke.

"What?" Lyla gasped.

"It's called Substitute, and this one's called Faint Attack!"

Vigoroth seemed to appear out of nowhere and smacked Skitty with great force, causing her to tumble back several feet.

"And Substitute makes a perfect distraction for a well-pulled off Faint Attack!" Vivian observed.

"Let's finish this up, Vigoroth. Let's see the most powerful Fury Swipes you've got!"

The Vigoroth grinned and began slashing at the air violently with amazing speed. Vigoroth's body became surrounded by a blur and its image appeared on the large screen behind the judges, but the video was slowed down so that the audience could see how incredibly flexible the Vigoroth's arms were, stretching back and forth and up and down so no matter where anything touched him, it would be shredded immediately.

"I bet it can't see too well through that blur. And if it can't see an attack, it can't dodge the attack," Lyla thought to herself as it charged at Skitty who was slowly standing up. "Skitty, use Assist!"

Skitty's right paw began to glow and she aimed it towards the incoming Vigoroth. Ice Beam emitted from it and froze the Vigoroth solid, from the waist down. Vigoroth stopped swinging its arms around and used them to try to pull itself free but it was no use.

"What will Karen do now that her Pokémon is completely immobilized?" Vivian exclaimed into her microphone.

"He's not completely immobilized. He can still move his mouth! Use Uproar!"

Vigoroth opened its mouth and began screaming, creating sound waves that drifted towards Skitty. She pressed her head against the ground and covered her ears with her paws but the sound was too powerful.

"Assist, Skitty!" Lyla screamed, trying to be heard through the awful racket. Skitty heard her trainer, however, and her entire body began to glow. Lyla smiled.

"Could that be…" Karen thought to herself. "NO! Vigoroth, stop!"

Vigoroth couldn't hear its trainer through all the noise it was making so Skitty absorbed every bit of energy from the sound waves and then fired back double the energy in bright flash. Vigoroth took a lot of damage but was still standing when the light faded.

"DoubleSlap!"

Skitty began slapping the Vigoroth violently with her tail and then Lyla told her to use Iron Tail, so Skitty charged her tail up for a moment before giving Vigoroth one final blow to the stomach with a powerful Iron Tail Attack. The force caused the ice to shatter as Vigoroth flew back and landed on the ground near its trainer.

"Well I guess that's a good thing…" Karen said. "Now use Fury Swipes!"

Vigoroth charged towards Skitty, greatly slowed by its injuries.

"Block it with DoubleSlap!"

Vigoroth and Skitty were at about the same speed now and as Vigoroth tried to slash at her, she slammed her tail against its wrists to keep its claws away from her.

"Keep it up, Vigoroth!"

"You too, Skitty. Use Assist if you can!"

An orb began to glow in Skitty's mouth as she continued to defend herself and Water Gun blasted from it, knocking Vigoroth back towards its trainer again. Both Pokémon stared each other down, panting until the timer went off a few moments later. Lyla gasped, realizing that she hadn't been paying attention to the clock during the entire battle. She slowly looked up at the scoreboard and grinned widely when she saw that she had won just by a hair.

Next up was Selena and another coordinator. As Lyla expected, the match didn't last very long at all and Selena was the victor. During the match, however, Lyla managed to persuade Skitty to eat a few Oran Berries. Skitty was exhausted and barely had enough energy to chew them. They made her feel a little better but Lyla worried about the final round because Selena's Butterfree appeared to be at one hundred percent. She sighed as she set Skitty down, and the two walked out onto the stage together.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! We've reached the finals! Who will go home with the Rustboro Ribbon today? Will it be a crowd favorite, Selena? Or will it be this new face, Lyla? Keep watching, folks!" Vivian exclaimed as she signaled for the battle to begin.

"Your Skitty is looking pretty bent out of shape there. Maybe you should consider training it better," Selena said with a frown. "I honestly don't know how you managed to make it so far in this contest; it looks like you've never worked with her on her endurance before. Contests aren't about power but you can't exactly win with a weak Pokémon, you know? I admire how hard she's trying for you, however. You two may go first if you'd like."

Lyla wasn't really sure how to respond other than with an attack. She ordered Skitty to use Iron Tail so Skitty leaped up into the air but Butterfree, barrel-rolled out of the way with ease.

"Stun Spore."

As Skitty landed on the ground, Butterfree showered her with a sparkling orange powder. Skitty sneezed and shook her head. The powder made her feel kind of tingly but she seemed okay otherwise.

"This would be so much easier if Skitty knew any long-range attacks…I hate to keep doing this but…" Lyla thought to herself. "Skitty, Assist!"

"Silver Wind," Selena said as a Water Gun shot up towards her Butterfree.

Butterfree began to flap its wings rapidly and it created a flow of sparkling air that collided with and overpowered the Water Gun, continuing until it hit Skitty right in the chest and blasted her away.

"Try it again!" Lyla shouted as Skitty struggled to stand. This time it resulted in Bide and Selena recognized the move so she didn't call any attacks. Instead, she asked Butterfree to entertain the audience by twirling around in vortex of glittery orange powder. She referred to it as a 'Stun Spore Dance.' The crowd applauded and Lyla's points shot down as a result.

"Assist again?" Lyla said, unsure of what to do now.

It resulted in Ice Beam but Selena countered it by ordering a 'Silver Wind Shield.' Butterfree began spinning around quickly as she flapped her wings, enclosing herself in a giant sphere of bright, shining wind. The Ice Beam was unable to penetrate it and instead split and shot off both side of it, shimmering from the reflection of the Silver Wind.

"Now use Secret Power!"

Butterfree ceased the shield and its whole body was glowing bright pink as it raced towards Skitty.

"Myee…"

"It looks like Stun Spore has finally taken its effect," Selena observed. Skitty couldn't seem to move so Butterfree slammed into her and knocked her out. A buzzer went off and Selena was declared the winner.

Lyla didn't say much on the ride back to the station, nor on the way to the Pokémon Center to drop Skitty off, nor on the way to hotel. She went straight to the bedroom, shut the door, and said nothing. Aiden and Eziray understood so they left her alone for a while and went out to a café for some hot chocolate. When they came back, Lyla wasn't in the bedroom anymore but the light was on in the bathroom and they could hear soft whimpering coming from it so they assumed she was in there. But after a while, they began to worry about her and walked over to the bathroom door to talk to her.

"Come on, Lyla! You did really good and I'm sure that losing your first contest is completely normal!" Eziray exclaimed in an attempt to cheer Lyla up.

"How's _that _supposed to make her feel better?" Aiden muttered. "Lyla! How about I help you train for the next contest when we go to Dewford?"

"Yeah! Aren't you excited to go visit an island? I bet you've never seen the ocean before, right? I mean you've lived next to a volcano your whole life! Hey! How about we go _right now_? Wouldn't that be fun?" Eziray asked excitedly.

"It's midnight, Eziray…" Aiden trailed off.

"Never too late for a gym battle!" Eziray replied.

"Gym Leaders need sleep too, Ez!" Aiden said with a laugh as Eziray began to bang on the door.

"If you don't come out here and be happy, we're coming in!" she shouted.

"Yeah, that's gonna get her out," Aiden mumbled, bringing his hand up to his forehead. Suddenly the door opened slightly as a result of Eziray's pounding. She opened it all the way and gasped. Lyla wasn't even in there.

"I swear I heard noises coming from in here…" Eziray trailed off.

"MMMMMM!"

"Noises like that!" she exclaimed.

"Were my ears playing tricks on me or did that sound come from the toilet?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

There was a pause and suddenly the lid to the toilet rose as Lyla's Mudkip, who had apparently been in there for quite some time, began to climb out.

"Mud, Mudkip!" he exclaimed happily as he jumped out and charged for Aiden and Eizray.

"Close the door! CLOSE THE DOOR!" Aiden shouted as Eziray slammed it shut. There was a loud thud as Mudkip ran into the door. They waited for a minute in complete silence and then opened the door to find that the window was open and Mudkip was gone. Aiden peered out the window and saw Mudkip running down the street.

"Where do you think he's going?" Eziray asked.

"To be with Lyla, maybe?" Aiden replied.

"Kip. Kip. Kip," Mudkip said quietly as he ran along, pausing every so often to look around as the fin on his head twitched. Pretty soon, he could hear footsteps coming towards him up ahead so he got really excited and charged forward only to find that it was a complete stranger. He was an old man who, judging by his unusually tan skin, looked as if he had been living on a beach his entire life. There wasn't a single hair on top of his head. Instead, it was all growing around his mouth, along his jawline, and above his eyes in two thick bushy eyebrows, and it was all as white as snow. Mudkip greeted him excitedly.

"Ahoy there, little one! What ye be doin' out here all by ye-self at night? It's dangerous, y'know! And where did ya come from; do ya belong to someone?" the old man asked, bending down to pet Mudkip. There was a Wingull on his shoulder that squawked as a greeting.

"Muuud," Mudkip said, rubbing against the man's hand. Without saying anything else, he suddenly ran past the man and continued on his merry way to find Lyla.

"Well, it was nice meetin' ya!" the old man called. "What a strange Pokémon that was, don't ya think, Peecko?"

Mudkip scampered along down the street, passing by another man walking in the opposite direction, towards the old man and the Wingull. Mudkip paused and looked back at the man. This one wasn't as social. He was dressed in a black and white striped shirt, blue pants, black gloves, sunglasses and a blue bandana. His head was down, his hands were in his pockets and he continued on without much noticing Mudkip who was staring after him, head cocked.

The man kept walking until he caught up to the old man with the Wingull.

"Good evenin' to ya!" the old man said.

"Thank you. You are the one called 'Briney', aren't you?"

"Yes, that's me. Can I help ya with somethin'?"

"Yeah…I'll need to borrow your boat, Mr. Briney"

"Me boat? Is there someplace ye need to get to? There's a ferry here in Rustboro y'know! Ye should get a good night's rest and try fer the mornin' departure, lad. Ya can't be in that much of a hurr–"

The man grabbed Mr. Briney by the shirt and slammed him up against a wall aggressively.

"I don't think you're understanding me. I _want_ your boat!"

"Unhand me at once!" Mr. Briney yelled. "Peecko!"

The Wingull flew off of his shoulder and began pecking away at the thug violently, forcing him to release Mr. Briney who then fled down the street.

"Crawdaunt, use BubbleBeam!" the thug yelled, throwing a Pokéball up into the air. A Crawdaunt materialized and stretched out its claws, pointing them at Mr. Briney as it released a blast of bubbles from each claw. Mr. Briney tripped and fell, and then he braced himself for the attack.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip exclaimed, running out in front of the bubbles and using Ice Beam to stop them in their tracks. They hit the ground immediately and shattered like glass.

"Myaaa!" Skitty hissed, running out from an ally to join Mudkip.

"What's going on here?" Lyla asked as she wandered out from the ally as well. She saw Mr. Briney and ran to him to see if he was okay.

"KIIIIIP!" Mudkip cheered, happy to be with his trainer again. Lyla looked up at the thug and gasped.

"Y-You're that Team Aqua guy who tried to rob Devon Corporation!"

"Not so fired up now, are you?" the grunt asked with a grin.

Without saying anything, Lyla picked up a rock and hurled it into the glass window of a nearby jewelry store. The window shattered and an alarm was triggered as a result.

"You're right. I doubt I can take you on, but Officer Jenny can and she'll be here any second!" Lyla exclaimed.

"You little…" the grunt growled.

Sure enough, a siren could be heard in the distance. The grunt decided not to stick around and called his Crawdaunt back before fleeing the scene. When Officer Jenny arrived, Lyla and Mr. Briney explained what had happened. But when she asked about the window, Mr. Briney lied and said it was a misfired attack from the grunt's Crawdaunt. After much questioning, Officer Jenny rode off to find the Team Aqua Member and Lyla sighed with relief.

"That was a good idea back there. Ye saved us so the least I could do was keep ya from gettin' into trouble as well!" Mr. Briney exclaimed.

"_Us_?" Lyla echoed as the Wingull flapped over and perched on Mr. Briney's her should, squawking with gratitude. "Oh, I see!"

"This is Peecko, my darling Wingull! We're very grateful for what ya did for us!"

"Gaaah," Peecko squawked.

"Oh yes! Many thanks to ye too, Mudkip!" Mr. Briney exclaimed, bending down to get a better look at Mudkip. "If ye didn't come when ya did, this nice young lass woulda had to drag my sorry behind to the hospital!"

"Mudkip? Just what are you doing out here all by yourself? I thought you were in your Pokéball!"

"This be _yer_ Mudkip?"

"Yeah. He's a bit of a handful sometimes…."

"Oh not at all! He's quite a delightful little Pokémon if you ask me! Anyway, if there's anythin' ya need, I'll be glad to help ya out if I can!"

"Don't worry about it. What was that guy after anyway?"

"My boat…who knows why?"

"Well I guess the police are on the lookout for him. He probably needs it to escape…Listen, I oughta get back to my hotel room before my friends realize that I'm gone. Are you alright getting back to wherever you need to be?"

"Oh, don't ya worry 'bout us now! Peecko and I will be just fine. But please, if ya ever need _anythin'_, do feel free to drop by and see me. I live at the old port here in Rustboro city! It's all run-down there and me house be the only one that aint all abandoned-lookin'!"

The next morning, Eziray jumped onto Lyla's bed and demanded to know where she had gone the night before. Lyla groaned, exhausted from the previous night's events. She pulled the covers over her head and said nothing. Both Skitty and Mudkip with lying at the foot of the bed and they looked up at Eziray curiously.

"Well I wouldn't let Mudkip on your bed if I were you. We found him in the toilet last night…" Eziray trailed off.

"In the toilet?" Lyla echoed, shoving Mudkip of the bed with her foot.

"Ha! Got you awake! Come on, get ready! I don't want to miss the morning boat!"

"Morning boat?"

"We're not staying here forever! It's time to get on a ferry and head to Dewford Island for my next gym battle!"

"Five more minutes…"

"Come on, sleepy head! What were you out doing all night?"

"Partying," Lyla said sarcastically, sitting up to rub her eyes.

"She was out for a walk with Skitty and ran into that Team Aqua goon," Aiden said, walking into the room with a tray of breakfast for Lyla.

"How come she told _you_?" Eziray whined, stealing one of the halves of toast from the tray.

"Because you were sleeping when she came back last night," Aiden replied, taking the toast and putting it back on the tray.

"Thanks Aiden," Lyla said cheerfully as she dug into the bowl of peach oatmeal on the tray.

After breakfast, the trainers got their things together and checked out of the hotel. Eziray had found a map in the room that would lead them to the harbor so the others followed her. Pretty soon, they reached a part of the city that seemed pretty abandoned. The paint on the buildings was faded and peeling off, the windows were shattered and boarded, and there wasn't a single person to be found. There was a port but it was completely deserted as well. The only boat in the water was completely destroyed and would have sunk if it weren't tied to the dock.

"And the ferry is where now?" Aiden asked.

"It's supposed to be right here!" Eziray exclaimed, pointing to the map.

"Hey, uh, Ez?" Lyla said, looking over the map and noticing the date on which it was printed.

"Yea?"

"This map is older than we are…"

There was a moment of silence as Eziray stared at the date in the bottom left corner of the map and then she cried out in frustration.

"Shhh, Eziray," Aiden said.

"Well it's really frigging inconvenient! Now we have to find the new port and wait for the afternoon ferry and –"

"I said SHHHHH!"

Eziray stopped talking and they could hear the low hum of a motor nearby. They followed its sound and it led them to a house that was in much better shape than the other buildings. As they reached it, a boat tore out from a building that was built over the water and attached to the house; it was like a garage for boats. As the boat zipped by, they noticed that it was being driven by the team aqua member. Lyla also noticed a Wingull trapped in a cage by his feet.

"PEECKO!" she shouted. She ran towards the building from where the boat came and the others followed. There, they found Mr. Briney tied up on the walkway off to the side of the garage, feet dangling in the water.

"Charo, use Metal Claw!" Eziray exclaimed, sending out Charo who slashed at the ropes and freed the old sailor.

"Thank ye!" he exclaimed. "But that crook took me darlin' Peecko!"

"I know, maybe Mudkip can catch up," Lyla said, taking a Pokéball out.

"Alas, that boat be old but she's fast enough to keep far away from yer Mudkip…"

"Then what can we do?"

"We have but one option. I think the time has come for me to set sail once again…"

"I admire your drive and everything but…didn't he just steal your boat?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"Aye, but just you wait, kids. I've got a surprise for ye all."

Mr. Briney stood up and walked over to a door that led into his house. There was a set of light switches to the right of it but one of the switches was red. Mr. Briney flipped it and the water in the garage began to part as the floor split and opened up, revealing a brand-new boat that was designed exactly like a Wingull.

"Hot damn…" Lyla trailed off.

"She be a super high speed boat that I've been workin' on ever since I met Peecko. That Wingull inspired me to sail the seven seas once again but I knew I would need a sea-worthy boat to travel with my darling Peecko. I call her the S.S. Wingull!"

Mr. Briney and the three trainers loaded onto the boat and began racing after the Team Aqua member.

"Mya…" Skitty said, staring uncomfortably at the water as they zoomed through it.

"Don't ye worry, little Skitty. She's not gonna sink, not while I be cap'n of her!" Mr. Briney exclaimed, accelerating.

"Ye wouldn't happen to come with subtitles would ye?" Lyla muttered, leaning over the side of the boat.

"He's not _that_ hard to understand," Aiden said with a laugh. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I don't feel good…" Lyla trailed off.

"Ha! Ye just haven't developed yer sea legs yet, lass! Ye will soon! Don't ye worry!" Mr. Briney shouted as the boat they were chasing came into view.

"What the…" the grunt said to himself as he noticed the Wingull boat gaining on him. Then he felt something nudge his leg and he looked down.

"Mudkip," Lyla's Mudkip said with a large grin.

"Not you again. What do you want?" the grunt demanded.

"Kip," Mudkip said, turning his head. The grunt turned to see what Mudkip was looking at and saw his Crawdaunt frozen solid, holding up an empty cage. Before he could even process this sight, Peecko seemed to come out of nowhere and began pecking violently at the grunt's head.

"Mr. Briney!" Eziray exclaimed, saluting.

"Yes, lass!"

"There be a rock yonder! It appears that our target be bound for it!"

"Aye! That devil be lookin' to reunite with his crew, no doubt! And he's about to crash me boat!"

"Permission to destroy rock, captain!"

"Eziray, cut it out," Lyla muttered, watching the boat as it neared a giant rock up ahead. She noticed a human-like figure being fleeing from it by jumping into the water.

"PEECKO!" Mr. Briney shouted, realizing that there wasn't enough time to prevent the boat from crashing. He sped up anyway, in a desperate attempt to rescue Peecko.

"Here it comes," Lyla said to herself as her breakfast slowly began to creep up.

"MUUUUUUUUDKIIIIIIP!" Mudkip exclaimed.

"Mudkip?" she echoed, looking up. Mudkip was riding on Peecko's back, and they were heading straight towards her.

"Peecko!" Mr. Briney exclaimed.

Mudkip jumped from Peecko's back, landing on and knocking his trainer over. Peecko continued forward, flying straight into Mr. Briney's arms.

"I'm going to kill you…" Lyla trailed off as Mudkip happily nuzzled her chin.

"YAAAAAY!" Eziray cheered, throwing her arms up in the air as Mr. Briney's old boat crashed into the big rock. "Mission accomplished! We are all officially marines!"

"Look!" Aiden exclaimed.

Eziray's excitement quickly turned to complete wonder as a huge black submarine with Team Aqua's symbol surfaced and the grunt climbed into it through a door at the top, towards the front. Then it slowly sunk back down into the water and disappeared. Lyla shivered a little bit as she witnessed this, completely cured of her seasickness as she held Mudkip tightly against her body.

"Kip?" Mudkip said, cocking his head at her. But he understood. He understood that, for some reason, Lyla was scared.

"Mr. Briney?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"Yes, lass?"

"So…do you think you could take us to Dewford Island?"

"Aye, lass! Aye, I can!"

**Author Notes**

First off, I just want to clarify that in the anime, Mr. Briney lives in Rustboro, but in the game, he lives outside of Petalburg. I of course went with the anime, so I hope that explains it to any of you who haven't seen him in the anime. Also, I realize that Lyla's contest battles weren't exactly contesty, but keep in mind that she's new to it and doesn't exactly know how to put combinations together yet. That's why Selena seemed to upstage her so much. Anyways, I hope you liked it and please continue to read and review!


	13. CH 13 Mudkip's Undersea Adventure

**Chapter 13: Mudkip's Undersea Adventure**

"It's beautiful, isn't it Skitty?" Lyla asked, completely memorized by the shimmering blue water that surrounded them and seemed to stretch on infinitely; there wasn't a bit of land in view, not even a large rock or a tiny island.

"Havin' fun there, small town girl?" Eziray asked, joining her by the side of the boat.

"I've seen the ocean in magazines and on TV but the images never captured how absolutely majestic it is!"

"I bet you can't wait to swim in it! Oh wait, you probably don't know how to swim, huh?"

"There's actually a hot spring in Lavaridge Town. It's not like I've never been in water before, Ez…"

"Captain Briney, when will we reach Dewford Island?" Eziray asked, not at all taking in what Lyla had just said.

"If we keep at this pace, I'd say we'll be there by nightfall, lass!" Mr. Briney exclaimed.

"Perfect!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Muuuudka!" Mudkip exclaimed, popping his head above the water below Lyla. He was wearing a golden crown with colorful gems embedded all around it.

"Mudkip, where did you find that?" Lyla asked.

"There be sunken treasure all over the bottom of this ocean. If I had a submarine like them gang-bangers we encountered earlier, I'd be scourin' the ocean floor me-self!" Mr. Briney exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Mudkip, don't go all the way down anymore okay? The ocean is huge and if you got lost, I have no idea how we would find you!" Lyla scolded and as if he just wanted to be defiant, Mudkip cried out with joy and dove back down out of sight.

"Uh-oh," Eziray said.

"HEY, YOU BETTER NOT GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM!" Lyla shouted.

Mudkip could barely hear her at this point because he was already a quarter of the way down. When he reached the sandy bottom, he swam back a ways until he reached the remains of an old fishing vessel. He cocked his head curiously and paddled over to it, wondering if there was anything shiny to find here.

He drifted along slowly and full of wonder. He eventually found a cracked mirror with a film of algae growing over it. He was still able to see his distorted reflection and cried out happily. Then he began to make funny faces until he got bored and just stared at it. He pondered for a moment, wondering if algae in the sea tasted any better than the algae in the pond that he was born in. He licked the mirror, leaving a shiny and algae-free smudge where his tongue had trailed across it. He turned away from it with an absolutely disgusted expression on his face as he stuck out his tongue which was completely green now. He was no longer paying any attention to the mirror so he didn't happen to notice the blurred reflection of a blue, fish-like Pokémon that sped by in the distance. Tongue still out, he looked around for something to wipe it on. The only thing he could find was a large bluish purple shell sitting on the ocean floor. He swam to it and ran his tongue along it but it opened and quickly clamped down on his tongue.

"MUUU-KUH!" he cried out in pain, pushing his front two feet against the shell in an attempt to pry his tongue out. It was no use so he looked around and kicked his feet, floating upwards and lifting the shell from the ground before whipping around and flinging it into the mirror. It released its grip on his tongue as the mirror shattered and it hit the ground. It opened again and only its bright pink tongue and anger-filled eyes could be seen.

"SHELLDER!" it cried out angrily.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip called back, eyes swelling with tears.

The Shellder used Aurora Beam, shooting a bright rainbow-colored beam of icy energy towards Mudkip. It wasn't a very sharp shooter, however and only managed to knock the crown from Mudkip's head. The crown was evidently made from plastic and simply broke apart and scattered around the ocean floor beneath Mudkip. The Shellder was about to fire again but something caught Mudkip's attention and he swam away.

He had seen a glimmer come from the inside of the vessel and swam towards a broken window to see what it was.

"Goooor…" something cried weakly. Mudkip stopped in his tracks.

"Kip?" he said, wondering what was making the sound. It sounded like it had come from the other side of the vessel so he paddled towards it but was suddenly blasted in the side by a powerful Water Pulse, knocking him back a ways. It came from an aggressive-looking Huntail who was rapidly swimming towards Mudkip with another Water Pulse ready.

"Mud…" Mudkip said, trying to reason with its attacker.

The Huntail did not listen, however, and fired yet another Water Pulse which Mudkip countered with his Water Gun, canceling it out. The Huntail then darted forward and sunk its sharp fangs into the side of Mudkip's body. Mudkip struggled for a moment and the Huntail whipped its entire body in order to launch Mudkip through the water. When Mudkip looked forward and noticed that its attacker had disappeared. He looked around desperately and when he glanced up, he realized that the Huntail was about to dive-bomb him with Dive so he zipped out of the way quickly and Huntail smashed into the ocean floor.

"Mud…" Mudkip said, feeling a little sympathetic for the Huntail as it shook itself. It snarled at him in response and fired another Water Pulse that Mudkip dodged with ease.

"TAIL!" the Huntail hissed, finally ordering the trespasser to leave. Mudkip frowned and slowly began to swim back up to the surface when he heard another cry. He looked down and the Huntail had disappeared so he decided to look once again for what was making the sound.

"Gooor…byss…" a pink fish-like Pokémon moaned weakly. When the fishing vessel had sunk, the mast was not destroyed and as it aged, the base began to rot until it finally snapped off. This Gorebyss had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when this happened and was now trapped beneath it with the front half of her body sticking out. It had been crushing her there for days and she had grown quite famished and weak. The Huntail, her mate, was not strong enough to move or break the mast so all he could do was protect her by keeping all other Pokémon away from her. He was at her side now, desperately wishing that he could free her. He noticed Mudkip swimming towards them and fired another Water Pulse which Mudkip dodged as he picked up speed and force. The Huntail stood its ground and braced itself for the incoming attack but Mudkip swerved around and rammed into the side of the mast with Tackle.

"Byss?" the Gorebyss managed, looking up at Mudkip with pleading eyes.

"Mud…KIP!" Mudkip screamed, slamming into it even harder. The Huntail and Gorebyss watched as Mudkip tried repeatedly to bust apart the mast. He grew tired but refused to give up, finally the Huntail ordered him to stop. Mudkip obeyed but stared back with determination in his eyes. The Huntail swam over to the side of the mast and began pushing against it in an attempt to move it. Mudkip understood and swam over to help and both Water-types pushed with all their might but the mast wouldn't budge. A shadow drifted across them from up above and only Mudkip seemed to notice it. He stopped and looked up, trying to find what had cast the shadow. Huntail noticed Mudkip's uncertainty and stopped as well, looking around, but not quite certain about what exactly they were looking for. The shadow came over them again but much more rapidly this time.

"MUDKIP!" Mudkip shouted, threateningly.

"SHARPEDO!" a Pokémon roared, diving down towards the Gorebyss. Mudkip swam towards the predator and slammed into the side of it, knocking it back. For some reason, the Huntail had tried to stop him and as soon as the two Pokémon's skin met, Mudkip understood why. The Sharpedo's skin was extremely rough, worse than sand paper, and when Mudkip hit it, it scraped up his shoulder pretty badly.

"HUUUN!" Huntail exclaimed, firing a Water Pulse at the Sharpedo, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

"Mud!" Mudkip exclaimed, offering to help. Huntail nodded and fired Water Pulse again so Mudkip turned and joined in with Water Gun, but the Sharpedo simply ducked down out of the way and stared aggressively at the two. Huntail decided to try a different approach and charged forward, sinking its fangs as deep as it could into the Sharpedo's tough skin.

"SHAR!" the Sharpedo roared as Huntail released. And as if it were trying to demonstrate its superiority, Sharpedo snapped its powerful jaw down hard on Huntail before the Deep Sea Pokémon could escape.

"MUDKIP!" Mudkip shouted, demanding the Sharpedo to let go. Sharpedo dropped Huntail who then drifted down to the bottom as Sharpedo sped towards Mudkip. As it neared him, the water surrounding it began to take a bullet-like shape. It was using Aqua Jet and when it hit, Mudkip was launched way back but retaliated with Ice Beam. Sharpedo responded by bearing its sharp teeth which began to glow bright blue. An icy beam was released from them and it met Ice Beam in the middle, creating a giant ball of ice that was immediately shattered as Sharpedo busted through it with Take Down. Mudkip didn't try to dodge, instead he charged forward with tackle and hit the incoming Sharpedo head-on, leaving a rather large scrape across his forehead from Sharpedo's Rough Skin. Not only that, but the Sharpedo's Take Down was significantly more powerful than Mudkip's Tackle so Mudkip was sent spiraling down into the ocean floor.

"Shar…" the Sharpedo trailed off, looking around for Huntail who came at it from above with Dive. Sharpedo noticed in time and moved to the right so Huntail crashed into the ground beside Mudkip and the two gritted their teeth as the Sharpedo closed in on them. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity stretched out from above and surrounded the Sharpedo, paralyzing it.

"OOO, OOH!" Baby scolded as she swiveled down through the water. Lyla was worried sick about Mudkip because he had been gone for so long so they had dropped anchor and sent Baby to find him.

"Mud..." Mudkip said, turning his head towards the weakened Gorebyss. Dratini suddenly changed her tone and became very sympathetic towards the South Sea Pokémon. She wiggled through the water, making her way to Gorebyss' side and then barked some orders to Mudkip and the Huntail.

The Huntail objected, staring at the Sharpedo who could recover from the Paralysis at any given moment. Mudkip nodded in agreement and baby stared at them as if they had just insulted her. She snapped at them, assuring them that she was well capable of taking care of herself as well as the Gorebyss and then she backed it up by reminding Mudkip who her trainer was. Mudkip sighed and began swimming up to the surface. The Huntail, however, refused so Dratini sent a Thunder Wave in his direction, purposely missing but getting it close enough to send him the message. He darted off after Mudkip and the two reached the surface a few minutes later. Mudkip looked around, in search of the boat which wasn't too far away and just sitting idly in the water. He and Huntail popped their heads back into the water and began swimming towards it, hopping that they wouldn't be noticed. When they reached it, Mudkip quietly climbed on board and began searching the boat for Baby's demands: some Oran Berries to give Gorebyss strength, some Pokémon Food to fill her belly, and medicine for her wounds. He was able to locate the berries and the food but wasn't able to find the medicine before Peecko noticed him and landed on his head, squawking happily.

"Muuh!" Mudkip hushed. Peecko gasped and shut its beak, nodding. Mudkip finally found a Potion in his trainer's bag and dropped it down into the water where Huntail was waiting to catch it. Next he threw down a can of Pokémon food and then a few Oran Berries that Huntail would have to carry in his mouth. Mudkip was just about to jump back into the ocean when Lyla spotted him.

"_YOU!_ I am going to _kill_ you!" she shouted angrily. Realizing that there was no time to lose, he dove back into the water and she ran to the side of the boat, looking down to where the water was rippling from the splash. "Baby, if you can hear me, I give you permission to kick his ass!"

Mudkip and Huntail returned with the supplies and saw that the Sharpedo was no longer paralyzed. To their surprise, he didn't seem very aggressive anymore. In fact, he looked as if he had just been scolded and was now waiting for something. Dratini snatched up the supplies from the two and set them down beside Gorebyss then she motioned for them to help her move the mast.

She began pushing the side of it with all her might, as did Mudkip and Huntail, and even Sharpedo for some reason. Dratini had evidently given him a talking to and somehow persuaded him to help free the Gorebyss. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough power to move the mast. Sharpedo roared out angrily and swam away finally. Before the others even noticed, he suddenly came back and slammed into the mast with Take Down. This powerful blow managed to knock the mast off Gorebyss who then made no attempt to move because she was just too weak at this point.

"Hunnn…" Huntail trailed off, feeding the Oran Berries to his mate. Dratini used Wrap to spray Gorebyss with the medicine and then she fed her some of the Pokémon food. Gorebyss was feeling much better in no time and even had enough energy to rejoice with Huntail as they swirled their bodies around each other, floating higher and higher until they were halfway to the surface. Then they looked at each other and nodded before swimming back down and asking Gorebyss' saviors to follow them.

Dratini and Mudkip were led for quite a ways until they reached a large rock, covered by colorful seaweed and coral. They followed Huntail and Gorebyss around it to the other side where there was an opening leading into a small underwater cavern. The leaders swam into it and Mudkip followed but Dratini hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to join them.

The cavern was full of Clamperl but each of them were clamped down, pretending to be regular seashells. Beneath them laid a magnificent pile of treasure. This was sort of like a nursery of Clamperl that were either abandoned or separated from their parents. The Gorebyss and Huntail took care of them along with a Lanturn that had been watching them while the other two were away scouring the ocean floor for treasures. Whenever these two found anything of value they would bring it back to this cavern and give them to the Clamperl as presents. Gorebyss explained what had happened to her and what Mudkip and Dratini had done for her. She asked if any of the Clamperl were willing to part with one of their treasures so that her two saviors could be rewarded with a token of appreciation on all of their behalf.

"Claaam!" the Clamperl all cheered happily, completely willing to part with one of the many treasures as thanks for saving their friend. The Gorebyss turned to Mudkip and Dratini, giving them permission to choose one of the children's treasures. Normally, Dratini would have forbid it because she would feel bad otherwise, but this case was an exception because Lyla was probably fuming at this point and it would be best to at least bring her back an expensive gift. Dratini advised Mudkip to choose whatever Lyla would enjoy the most.

He gazed around the cavern, unable to make a decision. There were pearls, expensive jewelry, _real_ golden crowns, diamond tiaras, gold coins, rare gems, and all sorts of things to choose from. Something finally caught his attention. One of the Clamperl was holding a fully functional Pokéball that was made from real gold. There was a slight greenish shade to it because the gold had been mixed with iron to make it that color. On the top half, towards the top, there was a tiny pinkish-gold heart where the gold had been mixed with copper and this heart was bordered by tiny, perfectly aligned diamonds.

Mudkip knew that this would please Lyla the most; he knew that she would be absolutely delighted to display such a Pokéball in a contest and that she would completely forget about being mad at him the moment she laid eyes on it. So he clutched onto it with his mouth, let Baby thank them all and bid them farewell, and then the two swam off together to find the S.S. Wingull.

"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?" Lyla demanded as soon as they returned. "AND WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO YOUR FOREHEAD, MUDKIP?"

Dratini began to explain but Mudkip managed to quell his trainer by simply scampering forward and dropping the treasure he had chosen into her hands.

"What's that?" Aiden asked as Lyla examined it.

"It...It's…gorgeous! What's it made out of? It's so pretty and shiny and sparkly! Look at it!" she exclaimed, holding it up into the sunlight which caused it to shimmer even more. She imagined the sun as if it were a spotlight and knew that the crowd would be just as dazzled by the rather fancy Pokéball. She concluded that Mudkip had been gone for so long because he had been trying to find her the perfect present and must have faced all sorts of danger to get it, judging by the scrape on his forehead. She then announced that he was officially out of the doghouse and walked away to go admire her new Pokéball some more, fantasizing about what glamorous Pokémon she would eventually catch with it.

Eziray thanked Baby for her help and then sat down, wanting to hear all about the adventure as Aiden began plucking away at his guitar. Mr. Briney was in the middle of a nap at this point and no one was selfish enough to wake him so they just let him be and sat, enjoying the sparkling ocean around them.

Not too far away, a first class cruise ship bound for Slateport City was sailing by and its guests were having quite the celebration, all but one anyway.

"Selena! I'm so glad I found you; I've been looking all over for you! What's the matter, darling? You look bored out of your mind and you've hardly touched your wine!" a boy with slicked-back blond hair said. She had been sitting at a table all by herself, resting her head on one hand as she stared out the window at the S.S. Wingull. Her hair was in small, tight curls and twisted up around her head to form a slight yet elegant pouf. As she stared out the window, the sunlight reflected off the touch of glitter that dusted the corners of her eyes and off of the slim silver dress that fell to her ankles.

The boy stumbled into the seat across from her and she took hold of her wine glass to pull it in closer.

"I do hope that you're not asking for it. I can see that you've already had quite enough, Ashton…" she trailed off coldly.

"Selena! I'm surprised at you! You know me better than that, don't you?" he asked dramatically, batting his ocean blue eyes.

"You'd be surprised…"

"Oh come now, why do you keep staring out the window like that? What's so interesting about a stranded boat, hm?"

"I recently competed with a girl on that boat…"

"And…"

"I have a feeling about this one…"

"It's probably just the wine, dear!"

"I haven't had any wine…"

"Oh…"

"Yeah…I don't know Ashton. This Lyla person has sparked Girafarig's interest and for that reason, she's sparked mine as well. I almost look forward to seeing her compete again…"

There was a loud thud as Ashton's head hit the table and he began snoring loudly.

"And I also get the feeling that you're going to be a raging alcoholic someday…" she trailed off, snatching the champagne glass from his hand and setting it on the table before he dropped it or something.

"Selena…" a feminine voice trailed off.

Selena turned to find a Girafarig standing beside the table.

"Girafarig? I thought you were taking a nap."

"Those three…"

"Tch. Let me guess. They all possess some sort of amazing talent in spite of their youth, right? And –"

"They are all connected to something much bigger than contests and Pokémon Battles, Selena…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Selena, something terrible is going to befall this world very, very soon…I can feel it. And those three will somehow be linked to it, I know it!"

"What exactly is going to happen?"

"I don't know…but I've been having visions again…and in those visions, _they_ are awakened."

"_They_?"

"Do you know nothing of this region's history?"

"Girafarig, get to the point. I don't feel like playing guessing games today…"

"It's not a game. This is serious, Selena!"

"Who are _they_?"

"Groudon and Kyogre!"

"The Legendary Pokémon?"

"So you do know something…"

"But I still don't know what the problem is or what on Earth you're talking about."

"Selena, stop talking to yourself," Ashton murmured, half asleep.

"We'll discuss this later," Selena whispered. "Get back to the room."

**Author Notes:**

Kind of a short chapter but I hope you enjoyed it! Especially the little bit of foreshadowing there at the end. I'm not going to say much about that though, you'll have to keep reading ;) And sorry it took so long to update, I was in France for three weeks with no internet access and I re-wrote the ending a million times (and I'm still not entirely satisfied). Please, please, please be sure to read and review if you loved it or want to leave me some tips or anything!


	14. CH 14 The Island Life

**Chapter 14: The Island Life**

"It's hatching, guys! It's hatching!" Lyla exclaimed.

They had finally made it to Dewford Island the night before and scrounged up enough money to check themselves into a hotel by the beach. It was morning and Eziray was getting ready to leave for her gym battle.

"Are you sure?" she asked, surprised that it was happening so soon. She joined Lyla in the other room and Aiden was already there, holding the egg in his lap. He looked up at the girls and frowned.

"Sorry Lyla, but I don't think it's going to happen just yet," he said.

"Awww! But why? I felt something moving around inside of it a minute ago!" Lyla said, taking the egg from him to inspect it.

"The pulsing's stopped and I'm not hearing any sounds or anything coming from within it. The pulsing was a good sign though! That means it'll hatch _soon_!"

"Man, I thought today was the day…" Lyla said with a sigh.

Eziray hesitated for a moment and Aiden cocked his head.

"What's up, Ez? Not gonna suggest that we go watch your gym battle to cheer Lyla up?"

"About that...I think we should spend the day at the beach instead!" she exclaimed.

Aiden and Lyla were absolutely stunned and questioned their friend's sudden decision. She explained that she wanted to get some more training in and ask the locals about their gym leader. Then she suggested that Lyla get some training in too. Excitement suddenly flooded over Lyla as she realized that she would get to go swimming in the ocean for the first time. She fantasized about it for a moment, imaging herself and Aiden partially naked together in the sand. Then she threw her arms around Eziray and hugged her, thanking her for the sudden and unexpected decision before running off to the bathroom to get ready.

When she emerged, she was dressed in a black bikini with hot pink zebra stripes and she smelled like piña colada. After Aiden had gone into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, Eziray began to laugh.

"New perfume?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong with it? It's beachy, isn't it?"

"Lyla, it's gonna get washed off in the water! You know that right?"

"I guess I didn't think about that..."

The bathroom door creaked open and Aiden emerged, dressed in simple black swim trunks and holding a white towel over his shoulders.

"That was quick..." Lyla trailed off.

"I'm not a girl," he shot back with a playful grin.

"What's tha-" Lyla began but Aiden cut her off.

"Where's Eziray?"

"She was here a second ago..."

"You guys, let's go!" a voice called from outside. They looked out the window and Eziray was standing beneath it, dressed in a bright blue bikini with a yellow palm tree over one of the cups.

"How did you get out there so fast?" Lyla called to her. "...And when did you get dressed?"

Lyla, Skitty and Aiden raced down and caught up with Eziray who was already halfway from the hotel to the beach. It wasn't a long walk at all, five to ten minutes max, and once they got there, they threw their Pokeballs into the air and all of their Pokemon materialized, one-by-one.

"Muud!"

"Char!"

"Ooo!"

"Treecko..."

"YAY!"

"Tor!"

Skitty and Espeon were the only ones to remain silent. Skitty was already basking in the warm sand and Espeon wasn't particularly impressed but the other Pokemon's joy did bring a smile to her face.

Lyla was about to run into the water but Eziray grabbed her by the arm.

"Nuh-uh! Work first and then play! You have some training to do, as do I," Eziray said.

"Are you suggesting something, my dear friend?" Lyla said spunkily as she placed one hand on her hip.

"A double battle!" Eziray exclaimed. "Charo and Baby versus Skitty and Mudkip. Then Gracie and Speedy versus Espeon and Torchic. Are you two down?"

"You bet!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Definitely! Ladies first though; I'm gonna go relax for a bit. G'luck, Lyla!" Aiden encouraged as he spread out in the sand with his hands behind his head.

The girls and their Pokemon positioned themselves in the sand and thought about what their Pokemon needed work on.

"Alright Skitty, we definitely need to work on your stamina and endurance so we're really going to tire you out! And Mudkip...you're like a super monster so I don't really know where to begin with you..." Lyla trailed off.

"There's always room for improvement, Lyla. Work on his power or something," Aiden suggested.

"You're right," Lyla said with a smile.

"You can go first!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Alright then! Mudkip, use Water Gun on Charo. And Skitty, use Assist on Charo!"

Both Pokémon opened their mouths, charging for a moment, and both Pokémon fired a Water Gun. The two attacks spiraled around each other, creating one massive blast of water, as they came at Charo.

"Flamethrower Charo!"

"But why?" Lyla asked.

Charo's Flamethrower met the two Water Guns in the middle and fought against them the best he could.

"We're working on his power. I want to see a bigger flame, Charo!" Eziray urged.

Charo increased his power as much as possible but it was still not enough. The Water Guns were slowly overpowering him.

"Impressive enough! Baby, help him out with Twister!"

Baby whirled the tip of her tail around and around, whipping up a tiny tornado that she flung forward into the attacks. The attacks were absorbed into it and a red and blue vortex was now fast approaching Lyla's Pokémon.

"Skitty, get behind Mudkip and duck! Mudkip, use Bide!"

Both Pokémon obeyed so Mudkip took all the damage from the attack but released double the energy in a bright flash. Skitty took a little damage from Bide's impact but Charo and Baby took most of it even though they had ducked at the last moment.

"Iron Tail!"

As the flash faded, Skitty seemed to come flipping out of nowhere with her tail glowing and she slammed it into Charo's head.

"And Water Gun!"

Mudkip tried a gang attack on Charo with Water Gun but Eziray ordered Baby to stop it with Dragon Rage. Both attacks collided but extinguished each other because they were evenly matched.

"Let's try Metal Claw while Skitty is in range, Charo!"

"Use DoubleSlap to block it!"

Charo's claws began to glow brightly and he began to slash away at Skitty but she quickly smacked his wrists away with her tail, blocking each attempt he made.

"Fire Fang!"

As Skitty blocked the final Metal Claw attempt, he brought his fiery fangs down and sunk them into her tail. She cried out so he released and she began licking her tail in an attempt to cool down the burning sensation.

"Dragon Rage!"

Baby fired a powerful orange blast of energy at Skitty that knocked the Kitten Pokémon back quite a ways.

"Skitty!" Lyla cried.

"Finish her off with Flamethrower, Charo!" Eziray ordered.

"Not so fast! Mudkip, use Ice Beam!"

As Charo fired a Flamethrower, Mudkip froze it solid with Ice Beam, allowing Skitty to flee and return to her Mudkip's side.

"Baby, use Twister!"

Baby sent another Twister their way and they both dodged but as it turns out, the Twister was only a distraction. Baby was now wrapped around Mudkip, awaiting Eziray's orders.

"Thunder Wave!"

Baby shocked the now helpless Mudkip, leaving him completely paralyzed so Lyla called him back. It wasn't a serious battle by any means and she didn't want him to get hurt for no reason.

"Baby, use Dragon Rage! Charo, use Flamethrower!"

"Skitty, use Assist!"

As the two blazing moves neared, Skitty countered them both with Mudkip's Water Gun but it wasn't strong enough to overpower both and Skitty wound up taking both hits anyway.

"DoubleSlap!" Lyla ordered as Skitty struggled to stand back up. She wanted to forfeit right then and there but she knew that every time a Pokémon keeps battling when tired, they grow stronger and are able to tolerate more in the long run; and this was the kind of training that Skitty needed.

Skitty charged forward and began to slap Charo rapidly across both cheeks of his face but Eziray ordered Baby to use Twister so Skitty had to stop to dodge. Then Lyla ordered her to use Tackle so she charged forward and slammed into Baby.

"Charo, Flamethrower!"

Skitty flipped out of the way of yet another attack and when she landed, she took a knee, panting with exhaustion. Lyla sighed and decided that Skitty had had enough now and it was time to end the match. Since both of her Pokémon had stopped before any really major damage was taken, there was no need to rush them to the Pokémon Center so she decided to tend to them herself while Aiden and Eziray sparred.

"You first!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Fine by me, Espeon use Quick Attack on Speedy!"

Espeon bounded forward with white energy trailing behind her to boost her speed.

"You too, Speedy!"

Speedy was much quicker than Espeon and managed to zip around her and hit her from behind.

"Torchic, use Ember, quick!"

Torchic spat tiny discs of fire at Speedy but Eziray ordered him to use Detect. Speedy nodded and held out his arms as he began to glow blue so the embers split off into two different directions and extinguished on their own.

"TOR, TOR!" Torchic cried out in frustration.

"It's okay to miss, Torchic," Aiden said with a chuckle.

"But it's not okay to let your guard down when you do! Gracie, use Confusion!"

Torchic was lifted from the ground, kicking violently because he didn't understand what was happening, and then he was launched back and took quite a tumble but was otherwise okay. He didn't take it very well though; he stood up whining and stomping like crazy as a couple tears gathered in his eyes.

"That wasn't very nice," Aiden said with a smile, trying to stay light even though his Pokémon was throwing quite the tantrum and had now caught the attention of just about every person relaxing on the beach. "Espeon, use Psychic!"

Espeon, using a pretty much upgraded version of Confusion, sent a blast of psychic energy towards Gracie and it was so powerful that it could have blown her halfway across the beach if Eziray hadn't ordered Gracie to use Teleport to avoid it. She then reappeared behind Espeon, ready to attack.

"Swift!"

Without even looking, Espeon flicked her tail and sent a wave of bright yellow stars at Gracie which hit her before she could use Teleport again so she fell over and began rubbing her head.

"Up, Gracie! And use Teleport!"

Gracie got back on her feet and disappeared, reappearing beside Speedy so that she could avoid further damage.

"Speedy, use Quick Attack on Espeon!"

Speedy charged forward but Torchic suddenly jumped up above him and used Ember so Speedy jumped backwards to avoid it and didn't attempt to proceed towards Espeon. Torchic landed directly in front of him, shouting angrily because he was still upset.

"Torchic, I understand that you're angry, but you really need to wait for a command before you attack. I was waiting for you to cool off so that's why I didn't say anything…" Aiden trailed off. Torchic turned towards his trainer and began to throw a rebellious tantrum that didn't go on for very long before he began to glow.

"Is he using Bide?" Lyla asked, walking to Aiden's side to watch. "Wait, what's happening to him?"

Torchic was changing shape at this point and Aiden smiled. Lyla stared in awe as the glowing subsided and a Combusken stood where Torchic once did.

"It evolved, Lyla!" he exclaimed.

"Clearly! I had never seen it happen before. SO COOL!" Lyla exclaimed, holding up her Pokédex.

"Combusken, The Young Fowl Pokémon: During battle, the hot flame inside its body increases and it can let loose approximately ten destructive kicks per second," her Dex informed.

"It's hard to tell when a Pokémon will evolve because each one is different. Some evolve once they have reached a certain level of power, some will evolve because they are in a pinch and need an extra power boost, some evolve when under extreme emotional circumstances, some evolve when given certain items, and some just evolve when the time is right. In any case, a Pokémon who evolves will be stronger than they were before and their moves and/or attitude may change slightly," Aiden explained.

"Hey, Lyla, we're kinda busy here…" Eziray trailed off. Lyla was standing right in the middle of their battle, holding up Combusken's arm and examining his sharp claws.

"Combuskeh…" Combusken said, wondering what on earth was wrong with the girl as he jerked his arm away.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, you were much cuter before –"

Before Lyla could finish her statement, Combusken blasted her in the face with an attack that was much similar to Flamethrower, except it was swirling.

"That must be Fire Spin," Aiden said, cocking his head.

"I WAS ABOUT SAY THAT YOU'RE MUCH COOLER NOW, GEEZ!" Lyla shouted angrily as she walked away. "Still a whiney little babe-EE!"

Combusken had fired yet another Fire Spin at her that she had to dodge as she was trying to finish her sentence.

"WELL SCREW YOU TOO THEN!" she yelled, this time running away to avoid further attacks.

"Alright guys, don't be intimidated! He may be stronger now but we've still got more training in than he has!" Eziray urged. "Now Speedy, use Pound on him!"

Speedy charged forward, readying his tail to use Pound but Combusken grunted as his right claw began to glow and when Speedy was close, he swung it upwards directly into Speedy's stomach. Speedy choked slightly as the force drove him back and he landed a few feet away.

"Must be Sky Uppercut," Lyla observed, scanning Combusken's moves with her Pokédex.

"Nice move Combusken, but I'd really rather you wait for an order. Anyway, finish Speedy off with Fire Spin!"

Combusken nodded and before Speedy could recuperate, Combusken singed him with a powerful Fire Spin attack. Speedy stood for a moment, trembling, before falling forward and flattening out on the ground.

"Speedy, return!" Eziray exclaimed, calling her Treecko back.

"Good job! Now Espeon, use Swift and Combusken, use Fire Spin again!"

"Gracie, use Teleport to get away!"

Gracie vanished and then reappeared behind Combusken.

"Perfect! Now use Confusion to lift Combusken!"

Gracie began to levitate Combusken with Confusion but he didn't get too high before Aiden ordered Espeon to use Psychic. The wave of Psychic energy that seemed to clamp down on Gracie's mind caused her concentration to break, releasing Combusken from the attack. Eziray smiled slightly,demonstrating her sportsmanship and forfeited.

"Wow, I didn't expect Aiden to win," Lyla said.

"Well keep in mind that I always had to be her sparring buddy in Kanto so she could prep for gym battles, so we know a thing or two ourselves," Aiden said, stroking Espeon's head.

"Speedy, come on back out!" Eziray exclaimed. He was pretty battered but okay for the most part. As Eziray tended to his wounds, Lyla came over to assist her and learn a few things about taking care of an injured Pokémon in case there is no Pokémon Center around.

"What's going on over there?" Lyla wondered, noticing a commotion farther down the beach when they were all finished.

A group of girls with surfboards were gathered around, all excited about something. Lyla and Eziray decided to go check it out. As it turns out, they were all gathered around a buff man with long, spiky blue hair and orange swim trunks on. He was holding a surf board, as was the Makuhita at his side.

"Oo, another Makuhita!" Eziray said, holding up her Pokédex.

"Makuhita, The Guts Pokémon: It toughens its body by slamming into thick trees and in battle, it will keep getting up and attacking its foe no matter how many times it is knocked down," the Dex informed.

"Brawly, you're like so cool!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"I bet every gym leader like totally wishes they were you!"

"Yeah! Your Pokémon are like so strong!"

"Maku!" the Makuhita exclaimed proudly.

"Thanks dudettes! I really appreciate it!" he exclaimed.

"Brawly…" Eziray trailed off.

"Yeah? Can I help you two beach bunnies?" the man asked, cocking his head. The crowd of surfer girls turned and smiled at Lyla and Eziray.

"Beach bunnies?" Lyla echoed.

"Your name sounds familiar…Brawly…" Eziray trailed off.

"Eziray, I think he's the gym leader," Lyla whispered.

"THAT'S RIGHT! Roxanne mentioned you on her test! You're Brawly the Gym Leader!" Eziray exclaimed as she suddenly realized who he was.

"In the flesh! But it would be a total bummer if you were lookin' to battle me right now. See, the waves are about to get wicked gnarly and they won't get this good for a while so I'm about to totally shred it up right now!" he exclaimed.

"Radical," Lyla said with a smile.

"Actually, I was gonna spend the day training anyway! How about tomorrow?"

"No can do, bro! I got a battle tomorrow with another dude!"

"Would his name happen to be Noah?" Eziray asked.

"Nah, different dude, dude! Tomorrow, I have a battle with a guy named Declan."

"Oh, I haven't met him…So how about the day after tomorrow then?"

"Fer sure, I'm stoked! Man, those waves are off the wall! Listen, it was nice meeting you but I gotta get me some of that! Surf's up everyone!"

The group of surfers raced off towards the water and Lyla sighed.

"Something wrong?" Eziray asked.

"He just seems like the complete opposite of Roxanne. Is he really a gym leader?"

"You shouldn't judge him until you see him battle, Lyla!"

"I guess you're right…where are you going?"

"What part of _beach day_ don't you understand?" Eziray exclaimed with a laugh. "Go have some fun!"

"I suppose I've always wanted a tan…kinda hard to get one when you've grown up in a town that's pretty much blanketed with ash," Lyla said to herself with a shrug. She walked back to where they had trained and fished a towel out of her bag. Then she laid it out and flopped her body onto it, belly-down.

"Myaa," Skitty purred, curling up on top of her back.

"Doesn't the sun feel good, Skitty?" Lyla asked happily.

"I'm sure it does but you're going to get an awfully strange tan if you let her lay on you like that," Aiden said as he walked by her with a beach ball.

"Oh you're right! Skitty, get down!" Lyla exclaimed. Skitty obeyed and curled up next to her instead. "Where'd you get that?"

"I've been invited by a group of people to go play volleyball."

"Fun, where's Eziray?"

"Uh…" he trailed off, looking towards the water. Lyla turned and saw Eziray standing knee-deep in it, splashing a very agitated Charo.

"CHAR!" he exclaimed angrily, wiping salt water from his cheek.

"What's the matter, Charo? Don't like the water? Come on! What if we have to face a strong trainer with Water-types? What will you do then?" she teased.

"Poor Charo…" Lyla trailed off as Aiden joined a group of kids playing volleyball.

The trainers spent the next hour and a half basking in the sun, splashing in the water, and playing on the beach. They all did each of these activities at some point but Lyla wound up tanning again while Aiden and Eziray buried Espeon in the sand while she was sleeping. This gave Lyla an idea so she sat up and took her egg out.

"Does the warm sand feel good, little egg?" she asked as she pushed sand over the egg.

"Peeel," a Peliper squawked as it landed beside her.

"Can I help you?" Lyla asked.

"Paaa," it said, sniffing her.

"What are you hungry or something? I don't have any food, get lost!"

"PEEEEER!" it squawked, drenching her from head to toe with Water Gun.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip exclaimed.

"Mudkip?" Lyla echoed, looking up to find that Mudkip was sitting inside of the Peliper's mouth and she had actually been sprayed with _his _Water Gun.

"Pel-ii!" the Peliper exclaimed as it flapped its wings and took off.

"Muuuud-kiiiip!" Mudkip exclaimed excitedly as the Peliper flew along the beach.

"Skitty, use Assist!" Lyla ordered.

"MYA!" Skitty exclaimed as her body began to glow with Mudkip's Bide.

"God damnit," Lyla muttered.

"Muuuud!" Mudkip called to Aiden and Eziray as the Peliper flew over them.

"Was that?" Eziray wondered out loud.

"Yep, here comes Lyla," Aiden said as Lyla rushed towards them, holding her egg tightly against her body.

"MUDKIP'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!" she shouted as she ran by.

"So much for a beach day," Eziray said as they grabbed their things and chased after her.

The Peliper first led them to the center of the island but eventually headed north towards a forest, but that was the last that the trainers saw of him. The only thing they could do was wander aimlessly around the forest, hoping that they could find him. Pretty soon, Lyla didn't seem to be very worried anymore. She figured that Mudkip could take care of himself and would come back eventually so they may as well enjoy the forest.

It was a very quiet and tranquil there. There wasn't a single person or Pokémon in sight, but it was full of all sorts of tropical plants, fruits, and flowers. Lyla was shocked at how many species there were that she had never seen before and she stopped to admire every one of them. Most of the more colorful ones were growing along a small stream that ran through the forest. As Lyla inspected a pink flower that appeared to be related to a lily, a Magikarp swam by.

"What's that?" she asked, staring at it until it was out of sight.

"Just a Magikarp! They're pretty common though and kind of useless until they evolve…" Eziray trailed off.

"Hey, does anyone hear that?" Aiden asked, looking around. Everyone else silenced themselves and listened carefully. Muffled shouting could be heard nearby so they decided to investigate it.

They walked towards the sounds, having to bust their way through bushes and such and finally they reached a clearing with an old rotted tree and they discovered that the sounds were coming from Mudkip who had somehow lodged his head into a crevice of said tree. Now it seemed as if he was having trouble getting back out.

"Mudkip! How in the world did you manage that?" Lyla demanded, setting her egg on a stump and rushing to help him. Aiden and Eziray came over to assist as well, and while everyone was distracted, a wild Aron popped out of the ground, just beside the stump.

This Aron had dug tunnels all over the island and had made a hobby out of expanding his underground city. As he clumsily pulled himself out of the hole, he happened to bump into the stump and the egg rolled to the edge and balanced there for a moment until it fell and landed on the Aron's back as it walked away.

The Aron continued on its way without even noticing its passenger and didn't stop until it was deep into the forest. It looked around curiously, wondering where it should dig next, and spotted a berry bush full of bright blue berries. It wondered how they tasted and decided to investigate the bush. As it sampled one of these berries, a Plusle and Minun came rolling out from it. He stepped away from them as they bounced all over the place, rough housing and zapping each other spastically. He couldn't avoid them for long, however, and the Plusle eventually shoved the Minun into the Aron, causing the egg to fall off and roll along the ground.

"Pluh?" the Plusle said curiously, taking notice of the egg. The Minun and the Aron noticed too but Plusle was the first one to react. It scampered towards the egg and nuzzled it, deciding to become its mother as Minun ran over to see what it was.

"Pluh, pluh!" Plusle exclaimed happily.

"Mine!" Minun exclaimed as it lifted the egg over its shoulders and began to carry it away. Plusle followed close behind, prepared to catch it if it fell.

The two were brother and sister. They were both very young, practically babies themselves, but they had decided that the egg needed parents and they were delighted to fulfill that roll. They took the egg back to their nest which was located at the base of a hollowed-out tree. There, they laid it down in the pile of leaves that they had stored away and the Plusle began to stroke it as Minun went out to fetch more leaves. When he returned, he began to pile the leaves up around the egg, but the Plusle smacked his paws away and began to arrange them herself. He didn't like the way she was doing it however, so he pushed her aside and continued what he was doing. She did not appreciate this very much so she shoved him into the side of the tree. Completely forgetting about the egg, the two began to argue and push each other around until one of them bumped into the egg and it rolled out of the tree. Plusle grabbed it and ran away with it but Minun tackled her and stole it. The two continued to play keep away with it until Minun ran into a Hariyama that was resting beneath the shade of a tree.

"HARI!" it yelled angrily, not appreciating being woken up by the two little rug rats. It slammed its palm down, just barely missing the Minun, so the two abandoned the egg and fled as quickly as possible to go hide in their tree.

"Poochy-ena!" a Poochyena barked happily as it raced by and began to kick the egg along with its two front paws.

The Poochyena often wandered into town and joined into kids' soccer games quite often, kicking the ball around until their parents shooed it away. So he was a little more than obsessed with somewhat-round objects that rolled. He kicked it around for some time until he got bored with it and gave it one final swift kick that sent it flying high through the forest it. Luckily, it landed on and bounced off of the belly of a sleeping Slaking but it began to roll down a hill towards the freezing cold stream.

"Meeed…" a Meditite trailed off as it meditated under a tree.

This Meditite actually belonged to one of Brawly's underlings and it often went out to the forest to focus in peace, and train if it felt like it. Using all of its senses but sight, it detected the egg and extended its leg to stop it. Then it opened its eyes and grabbed the egg to examine it. Once it figured out that it had no use for it, it pitched towards the river where a wild Lotad was drinking water. The egg spun around in the leaf on its head, changing its direction as it flew off.

"Loh?" the Lotad asked, wondering what it had just felt.

The egg flew through the air a little ways, losing momentum until it was on the verge of falling, but kept going long enough to lodge itself down the throat of a Loudred who was scolding the Plusle and the Minun for something. The Plusle and Minun watched curiously as the Loudred's face turned a different shade of blue and it brought its hands up to its neck as it began to choke.

"Pluh!" Plusle exclaimed, panic-stricken.

"MINUH!" Minun ordered. She nodded and race forward, stopping just in front of the Loudred's feet. Minun then darted behind him and slammed into him, causing him to trip over Plusle and land on its stomach. Minun cheered as it jumped onto the Loudred's back with as much force as it could, causing the egg to shoot out of its mouth and fly far through the forest until it landed on a big leaf, then rolled across an old tree branch, and finally dropped into the stream where it floated quite a ways until it wound up back near the original tree stump and Skitty noticed it in the water.

"MYA!" she yowled. The trainers looked and Lyla bolted forward to save it

"HOW THE HELL DID IT GET IN THERE?" she demanded as she jumped in. It was very shallow and only came up to her waist but the mud was sticky and it was hard to keep up with the egg. When it was finally in reach, the Peliper swooped down out of nowhere and scooped it up into its beak.

"NOT YOU AGAIN! GIVE THAT BACK!" Lyla shouted.

Suddenly, the Peliper became outlined in blue and its mouth was forced open. Lyla turned and saw that Espeon was controlling the Peliper with Psychic and when she looked back towards the Peliper, the egg was now floating towards her. She grabbed it and turned back to Espeon to thank her but Espeon was glaring angrily at her.

"You are a _terrible_ mother," she said, only so Lyla could hear as Aiden petted her as praise.

As Lyla held the egg, she realized something that made her heart drop. The egg was stone cold and whatever was inside it had stopped moving completely. She wondered if the cold water from the stream had possibly killed it and began to panic. Without telling Aiden or Eziray, she simply tore out of the stream and left the forest so quickly that Aiden, Eziray and Skitty couldn't keep up.

The three found her back at the hotel with the heater cranked way up. The place looked like it had been ransacked but the only things missing were blankets and towels. Lyla had taken every single one and wrapped them around the egg which was now sitting on a desk with Lyla's entire upper body covering it.

"I was afraid of that," Aiden said, understanding now. "But don't cook it, now!"

He came over and took the blankets away, leaving Lyla with a few towels.

"Is it going to be okay?" she asked sadly.

"I hope so…" he replied.

She sat at the desk all night, without eating or sleeping or moving, in complete silence as she offered her body warmth in addition to the towels in hopes that the Pokémon inside would survive. There was still no sign of life yet, but she refused to give up. She was determined to save it.

**Author Notes:**

One thing I don't think I've mentioned yet is that some moves, such as Fire Spin, look different and/or have a different effect in the anime from the game. For example, in the game, Fire Spin traps opponents in a vortex of fire, and in the anime, it's more like Flamethrower. And on that note, I may as well say that moves in the anime don't always look the same or have the same effect each time a Pokémon uses it (like Confusion/Psychic). Oh and for those of you who are curious about the term 'beach bunny,' it's just surfer slang for a girl who comes to the beach to watch surfers basically. Brawly is fun to write about; I love the surfer lingo! Anyways, as always, read and review please!


	15. CH 15 An Ongoing Feud

**Chapter 15: An Ongoing Feud**

"Stop licking me Skitty. That tickles…" Lyla trailed off, half asleep. She had finally fallen asleep at about three in the morning, without even noticing. Something tiny and moist continued to stroke the side of her cheek so she turned her head away from it.

"Vuii," something said happily. Lyla could feel its soft fur brushing against her forehead as it nuzzled her and she started to pet it.

"Five more minutes, I promise," she mumbled.

"Eeee," it said. Lyla cracked her eyes open slightly and noticed four little white paws resting on the desk in front of her. For a moment, she wondered if Skitty had bleached her paws but then she remembered that she had been trying to revive the egg the night before. Then she realized that this Pokémon was standing where the egg had been sitting.

"YOU HATCHED!" Lyla exclaimed, sitting up and wide awake now.

"EEVEE!" it exclaimed in agreement.

Lyla took out her Pokédex to identify the Pokémon.

"Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon: due to its irregular genetic makeup, Eevee can quickly adapt to different environments by taking on different evolutionary forms," the Dex informed.

She cocked her head for a moment, studying the image on the screen. The Eevee displayed on her Pokédex was all brown with brownish white fluff around its neck and at the tip of its tail. Her Eevee was completely _off-white_ with _snow white_ fluff around its neck and at the tip of its tail. Baffled, she turned to the beds where Aiden and Eziray were still sleeping.

"A-Aiden?" she asked.

"Mmm…"

"What color was Espeon before she evolved?"

"…Brown?"

"Not white?"

"…No?"

"Are Eevee white when they hatch?"

"No, Eevee are always brown, Lyla. Why?"

"I think mine's broken…"

"What?"

Aiden sat up, rubbing his eyes, and saw the Eevee sitting on the desk in front of her, cocking its head.

"Woah…" he whispered.

"Maybe the cold water did this to her?"

"Maybe…"

"Eee," the oddly-colored Eevee said sweetly as it rubbed its body against Lyla's neck.

"She's so cute…" Lyla trailed off. "I'm going to start training her for my next contest right away!"

"Decided that quickly huh?" Aiden asked with a chuckle.

"She's _perfect_!"

"You do know that she's technically a wild Pokémon and you have to catch her right?"

"Really? I guess I didn't think about that…It's okay, I've got just the thing!"

She took out the beautiful Pokéball that Mudkip had brought to her and tapped the Eevee on the forehead with it.

"A fancy Pokéball for a fancy Pokémon!" she exclaimed as the center of it flashed red a few times and faded. "We're gonna feel like superstars at the next contest!"

Lyla was so excited that she was ready in five minutes flat, but it actually wasn't that surprising since she was already dressed from having slept in her clothes the night before. Then she gathered up Skitty and her bag and headed out the door and to the beach where she let Mudkip and Eevee out of their Pokéballs.

"Alright, now let's see what you can do," she said, scanning Eevee with her Pokédex once more. "Let's see…Tackle, Double Team, and Dig. Never seen Double Team before, so let's see it!"

"Vuii," Eevee said as two identical copies of herself appeared on each side of her.

"Wow, you can multiply?" Lyla asked excitedly. "Now let's see Dig!"

All three of the Eevee quickly burrowed into the sand until they were completely out of sight and then they popped back out of the group, moments later, flipping into the air.

"Awesome! Now let's try some sparring. Skitty? Mudkip? You guys are a team! You guys work together and I'll command Eevee okay?"

"Mya!"

"Kip!"

"Ready Eevee?"

"Eh!"

"Alright, then use Tackle on Mudkip!"

Eevee bolted forward with as much power as she could but Mudkip blasted her away with Water Gun before she could even get close. She kept trying until she managed to hit him but then he hit her back three times harder.

The training went on for about an hour and the Pokémon were getting tired but Lyla wasn't prepared to end it yet. Unfortunately, it was about to be interrupted anyway.

"Heeeelp! Someone! Please!"

"What the hell?" Lyla asked as a little boy raced towards them.

"Excuse me, miss, are you a trainer?" he asked, out of breath and on the verge of tears.

"Yeah?"

"YOU'VE GOT TO HELP ME! THEY TOOK MY NINCADA!"

"Who took your Nincada?"

"_He_ did!"

The boy turned around to face the direction where he came from and a Team Magma grunt was fast-approaching. Lyla's heart suddenly dropped.

"Trainer?" the boy asked. Lyla didn't respond. She remained frozen for some reason, staring as the man came towards them. "TRAINER!"

The grunt was too close for comfort now so the boy abandoned the idea of Lyla saving him and he fled, running up the beach towards the town. As the grunt raced past Lyla, she seemed to snap out of her daze.

"What do we do?" she asked, suddenly in a panic. "Aiden and Eziray aren't here! I can't take this guy by myself! We're not strong enough!"

She looked down and only Mudkip and Eevee were at her side.

"Skitty?" she asked, looking around desperately. "Skitty, where are you?"

"LET ME GO!" the boy shouted. The grunt had caught up to him and had him slung over his shoulder at this point.

"She remembers…and she's scared too…but where could she be hiding?" Lyla thought to herself.

"Pipe down, kid. We're not going to hurt you. We just need to make sure you don't go yappin' your trap in town. As soon as our operation is complete, we'll let you carry on with that silly little base of yours," the grunt said, locking his sights on Lyla. "And as for you, you may as well just come quietly. You're a witness too."

"No-no, I'm not looking for trouble, really!" Lyla exclaimed with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, well I'm sure you're not," he said, taking hold of her wrist. "But I must insist, so call your Pokémon back now and come with me."

"O-okay…" Lyla stuttered.

Back in the hotel room, Eziray was scolding Aiden for something as she got ready to leave the hotel and meet up with Lyla. Aiden was sitting at the desk, trying to ignore her.

"You could have woken me up, Aiden!" Eziray shouted, rushing to get her bag ready.

"I would have if Lyla didn't bust out of here so quickly! She's really excited, Ez," Aiden replied.

"But I wanted to see the new baby!" Eziray whined as she raced out of the room.

Aiden sighed and locked the door behind them. He didn't catch up to Eziray until they were in the front lobby of the hotel. The only reason why she stopped was because Noah was at the front desk, checking in.

"NOAH!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Hey! How's it going? Got that Knuckle Badge yet?" he asked with a grin.

"Eh…not exactly. I wanted to train yesterday and some guy named Deblan wants to battle him today…"

"I think that's _Declan_, Eziray," Aiden said as he arrived.

"Oh yeah, that's right, Declan! Thanks Aiden!"

"Hey, Aiden, where's Lyla?" Noah asked.

"She's on the beach training her newly hatched _white_ Eevee, apparently," Eziray said as she shot Aiden an angry glare.

"What?" Aiden demanded. "I already told you she left in a hurry!"

"MYAA!" Skitty shouted as she busted in through the front door.

"Skitty? Is something wrong?" Aiden asked.

Skitty nodded and ran back outside so the others followed her and she led them to the beach. They saw the grunt in the distance with a small boy slung over his shoulder and Lyla tagging along at his side.

"Lyla!" Eziray shouted.

"AIDEN, EZIRAY, NOAH!" Lyla called back.

"We're coming, don't worry!" Eziray assured as the three raced towards the grunt.

"What now…" he muttered as he reached into his pocket.

"Bayleaf, use Vine Whip!" Noah exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball into the air. Vines extended from the buds around the Bayleaf's neck and wrapped around the grunt before he could throw the Pokéball, allowing the kid to break free and Lyla to leave his side.

"You okay?" Eziray asked.

"Yeah," Lyla said quietly.

"NO!" the boy shouted. "What's wrong with you? You said you were a trainer so why didn't you battle him?"

"I don't know. Why didn't you?" Lyla muttered.

"Because he _stole _my Nincada! I told you that! So why didn't you help me? You just stood there, all scared and stuff."

"He has a point, Lyla. You're shaking like a leaf," Aiden said. "That's unlike you. You weren't like this when we encountered these gangs before."

"Myaaaaa…" Skitty trailed off, looking up at her trainer sympathetically as if she understood why.

"Skitty says that Lyla can't be alone with them," Espeon translated to just Aiden. He had sent her out at about the same time that Noah had sent Bayleaf out but he wasn't as quick on the draw.

"But why?" Aiden thought.

Espeon turned towards Skitty and expressed Aiden's question telepathically. Skitty looked up at Aiden and meowed something quietly.

"She doesn't want to talk about it. She says that Lyla would want to tell you herself," Espeon told Aiden.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" a man demanded via the grunt's walky-talky.

"Oh great," the grunt said, looking down at his pocket.

"Team Aqua just showed up and we need your help. They may turn out to be a threat to our mission so you better get here quick before a major battle commences. Are you listening to me?"

"Alright kids, I'll tell you what. You let me go, and I'll forget that there were any witnesses at all."

"Why would we just let you go?" Eziray demanded.

"Do it…" Lyla said.

"WHAT?" Eziray questioned.

"Just do what he says…"

"Why?"

"If we let him go, he'll forget about us. If we don't, the entire gang will come after us."

"Smart girl. I knew this one would cooperate," the grunt said with a slight chuckle.

"Release him, Bayleaf," Lyla said quietly.

"But Lyla," Eziray began.

"Bayleaf, it's okay. You can release him now," Noah said with a smile.

"NOAH!" Eziray shouted angrily.

"Baaay…" the Bayleaf trailed off, reluctantly letting the grunt go.

Without saying anything, the grunt fled towards the hills in the distance and the little boy put his hands on his hips.

"You really are a cruddy trainer, aren't you? And why'd _you _listen to her?" he demanded.

Noah ignored the boy and began walking towards the hills with his hands in his pockets.

"YEAH!" Eziray cheered.

"Hey! I could have told you where the rest of em were!" the boy shouted as he followed Noah and Eziray towards the hills.

"Great," Aiden muttered, following after them as well.

"Guys! We just _avoided_ trouble. Why would we go jumping back in, head-first?" Lyla demanded as Mudkip popped out of his ball.

"Mudkip!" he grunted.

"What are _you_ mad about?" she asked. He looked up at her with a stern look and raced after the others.

Realizing that her friends and strongest Pokémon were no longer with her to protect her, she decided to catch up and bolted after them. The group all reunited at the base of the hills. There was a rather large cavern just off the shore and the boy told them that it was his secret base and the villains were inside.

"What's a 'secret base?'" Eziray wondered out loud before they proceeded.

"What, you don't know?" Lyla asked, cocking her head.

"They're only like all the rage in Hoenn right now! It's like a trainer's very own secret hideaway where they can relax and decorate it with all the cool stuff they have! There's secret bases scattered all throughout Hoenn! How can you not know about them?" the boy explained with great frustration.

"Well, we're from Kanto!" Eziray exclaimed.

"The man on the walky-talky said that Team Aqua is here too. I don't know how much space is in there but I'm sure it's too small for both teams to fit…" Aiden said, completely ignoring the explanation and trying to get the others to focus on the issue at hand.

"MY BASE!" the boy cried, rushing towards it, suddenly worried about what had become of it.

The others cautiously entered and found the boy sitting on the ground amongst complete destruction. His bookshelves were knocked over, decorations were shattered on the floor, furniture was ripped apart and ruined, and there was a huge gaping hole in the back, on the floor.

"It looks like a big drill came in through here," Noah said, following tire tracks to the hole which led into complete darkness.

"Who knows where that goes…" Aiden said, peering down into the darkness.

"YAHOO!" Eziray exclaimed, running forward and leaping into the hole so she could slip down it like a slide.

"MUUUD!" Mudkip cried happily, mimicking her.

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM, EZIRAY!" Lyla called down the hole.

"Will you all be quiet?" Aiden demanded. "We _don't_ want them to know we're here, remember?"

Noah smiled and he and his Bayleaf followed Eziray and Mudkip down the hole as well.

"Aiden, please, no, don't. Don't leave me and go down there too," Lyla pleaded, heart sinking again.

"It's okay, don't worry. I just want to go see what's going on."

"Aiden!"

"You can come too. Espeon will protect us!"

"But Espeon doesn't like me!"

"Sure, she does! Come on, I'll hold your hand."

Lyla hesitated but eventually scooped up Skitty with one arm and clutched Aiden's hand with the other. Then they all slid down together.

The tunnel brought them to a large cavern with a lake and a large rock quarry. In between the two was a huge shrine of some sort with a pedestal where an executive from each group were standing, staring each other down, but there wasn't a grunt to be seen. Noah and Eziray were hiding behind a large boulder, watching the two, so Aiden and Lyla joined them.

The commander from Team Aqua's side was female. She had piercing ruby eyes and long, curly auburn hair. The commander from Team Magma's side was the same one that the group had encountered before. Suddenly, their silence was broken as the red-headed woman spoke.

"We'll be handling this operation now, Team Magma. I'm sure you have bigger assignments to carry out and we'd just like to finish ours without any unnecessary quarreling. Our time is too valuable for that."

"I have no clue what you mean. The power _we_ seek is what's here. The power _you_ seek is elsewhere," the Magma commander said with a sly grin.

"And I could just as easily say the same to you. But regardless of who here is successful in their search, _we'll_ be the ones who are able to control the power once we find it."

"Does that mean that the Red Orb is in your possession?"

"Perhaps…"

The two became silent again as they stared each other down for a few seconds. The Aqua commander closed her eyes and nodded as if she suddenly understood something.

"I see," she said. "And you have the _Blue Orb_ in _your_ possession…How reckless of your leader. _You're _not fit to handle such responsibility."

"We'll just see about that," the Magma commander growled under his breath as the Mightyena at his side snarled viciously. A Carvanha sensed the tension and surfaced the water, awaiting orders from its master.

"I can't quite wrap my head around why you would seek the power of the land, Commander Tabitha, when it's the power of the ocean that controls all things…"

"Then you clearly underestimate the power of the land. Although, I wouldn't expect someone like you to fully understand the matter, Commander Shelly."

"This is Flame Two, to Flame one!" a voice said, coming from the headset hidden under Tabitha's hood. "Our search of the entire shrine has been completed and there is no sign of G anywhere!"

"Roger that. All units move out immediately!" Tabitha ordered.

"I told you it wasn't here," Shelly said with a satisfied smile as a square device on her shoulder began to blink.

"Stream B to Stream A, we have finished our search and no K-signals were detected. It appears that this is _not_ the Cave of Origin, but merely some shrine of worship built by ancient people," a voice said.

"I understand. Let's move out!"

The grunts from both sides emerged from the shrine and took their positions at their proper commander's side, withdrawing a Pokéball and preparing for battle. There were twelve people total, staring each other down and contemplating whether or not it was worth it to battle here and now.

"Looks like they're going to take each other out, bummer…" Noah whispered.

"Awww, I wanted to battle them," Eziray added.

"You two are crazy, absolutely crazy! They'd tear us apart!" Lyla shot back.

"We don't have time to waste here. We must find the power we seek. In the water, now!" Shelly barked. Her grunts dove into the water and made their way towards a submarine parked in the corner.

"Troops, it's time to evacuate. We have no business here any longer!" Tabitha ordered, signaling to the Mightyena at his side who then blasted the roof of the cavern with a dark purple orb. A red helicopter started to make its way down, hovering close to the ground as the grunts climbed up the rope ladder. Tabitha took a hold of it and glared at Shelly as the helicopter slowly rose. Shelly stood her ground and glared back until the helicopter was out of sight. Then she dove into the water and the submarine sunk down and disappeared as soon as she had boarded it.

Eziray looked at Aiden with a puzzled expression and he shrugged, equally confused. Noah turned to Lyla.

"So…you're a native, right? Mind filling us in on these guys? Or do you not know?"

"Well…both groups sprang up fairly recently, although I'm sure they have been plotting for a long time. Both groups believe that the world needs to be changed in some way, but they disagree with each other on _how_ the world should be changed. Team Magma believes that the land should be expanded and the ocean needs to shrink, and Team Aqua believes that it's the ocean that needs to they're both crazy! You can't shrink or expand the land _or _the ocean. All they've managed to do so far is destroy historical landmarks and terrorize innocent people who are completely satisfied with things just the way they are now. Many Hoenns fear them and no one has been strong enough to stand up against them. Those who can are either too busy or can't track the groups to stop them. All anyone can do is just stay out of their way," Lyla explained.

"And these horror stories you've heard on the news about these gangs are what made you so scared of them all of a sudden?" Aiden asked, trying to understand why Lyla was acting so differently that day. She was silent for a moment and nodded.

"Don't worry! We won't let anything happen to you!" Eziray exclaimed. Aiden nodded but he had the feeling that Lyla was holding something back from them.

The trainers wound up finding a tunnel that led them out of the cavern and when they got outside, the little boy from before was standing on the beach with his Nincada at his side. He turned to the trainers and smiled.

"I guess they didn't take Nincada after all! Or maybe they just let him go. Either way, I'm just happy to have him back. I can relocate and rebuild my secret base but I don't know what I would do if I never got to see Nincada again. Thank you, you three, for going down there to face those bullies. They all took off, so good for you!"

"Hey, uh, you know there are four of us, right?" Lyla asked, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, but you didn't really do anything…"

"Well neither did anyone else! The two feuding teams chased _each other_ away! They didn't even know we were there," Lyla muttered.

"Hey, Noah!" Eziray exclaimed suddenly. He looked up at her and cocked his head slightly. "Since your Chikorita evolved, I'm assuming that you've gotten a lot stronger. How about you and me have a battle!"

"I'd say we're up for it. Three-on-three this time?"

"You bet!"

The two positioned themselves on the beach and Eziray sent out Charo as Noah sent out a Croconaw.

"Did his Totodile evolve too?" Lyla asked, holding up her Pokédex.

"Croconaw, the Big Jaw Pokémon: once it bites down, it won't release until it loses its fangs. If any of its forty-eight fangs are lost, new ones quickly grow back in their place," the Dex informed.

"Yes!" Eziray exclaimed, excited to be putting Charo up to such a challenge. "Let's start this off with Flamethrower!"

"How bold of you. Croconaw, use Ice Fang!"

As Charo's fiery blast neared the Water-type, it was countered with two bright beams of ice that shot off from Croconaw's fangs. The attack was frozen solid and fell to the ground, shattering.

"Fire Fang!"

Charo had already made his way to Croconaw and then he sunk his fiery fangs into Croconaw's shoulder.

"Water Gun!"

Croconaw turned his head and blasted a heaping mouthful of water at Charo who released in time to avoid it.

"Now use Metal Claw!"

Charo's claws began to glow brightly and he reached out to slash his opponent but Croconaw snapped it's large jaw down on Charo's arm, halting his attack with Bite.

"Nicely done, Croconaw! Now use Ice Fang!"

Without releasing, the Water-type used Ice Fang to encase over half of Charo's body in ice. When Croconaw released, Charo began to struggle but couldn't break free of the icy prison.

"Now finish it up with Water Gun!"

Croconaw blasted Charo with a powerful stream of water but all it managed to do was free Charo from the ice. The Fire-type stood and shook the water off but seemed pretty okay otherwise.

"Woah," Noah said, absolutely speechless.

"You seemed surprised, Noah! Don't you know that training a Pokémon against their type-disadvantages build their resistance towards it? Charo's had _lots_ of water training! Now Charo, the first one was just a practice shot so let's show him how powerful your Flamethrower _really_ is!"

Charo opened his mouth a breathed out the biggest, most powerful Flamethrower he possibly could. Noah ordered Croconaw to counter it with Water Gun, but to both he and Croconaw's surprise, Charo's Flamethrower completely over-powered it and even did some pretty decent damage on Croconaw.

"Nice!" Noah exclaimed. "But we're not discouraged! Croconaw, use Bite!"

Croconaw charged towards Charo who simply zipped out of the way, switching positions with Croconaw so that Croconaw was standing between him and the shoreline.

"Perfect! Use Ice Fang now!"

Croconaw grinned and blasted Charo's feet with two icy beams from its fangs. Charo's feet became surrounded by icy chunks and he was no longer able to lift his feet from the ground because the ice was too heavy. Then Croconaw calmly made his way back around so that Charo was between him and the shoreline instead.

"So you know what I was planning then? Alright then do it! Use Water Gun!"

"That's harsh," Aiden said as Croconaw blasted Charo into the ocean with Water Gun.

"He's never been completely submerged before!" Eziray screamed, rushing towards the water. Before she reached it, Charo surfaced but he looked unconscious. Then he rose out of the water and revealed that he was being carried by a Mudkip with a Team Aqua bandana wrapped around his head.

"Is that…?" Aiden began.

"Yup," Lyla said, realizing that Mudkip's ball was empty.

"Where'd he get the bandana?" Eziray asked, cocking her head. Mudkip brought Charo back to the shore and laid him out in the sand. Charo was unconscious but looked like he was going to be okay. Eziray called him back with a sigh and then took out Gracie's Pokéball.

"Wasn't expecting that!" she exclaimed, sending Gracie out. Noah called Croconaw back to its ball and then sent out a Quilava. Eziray cocked her head and then realized that his Cyndaquil must have evolved too.

"Someone sure has been working hard," Eziray said. "You've evolved all three of them already?"

"Yep! When Chikorita and Cyndaquil evolved, I decided to wait on Totodile until he did too. Certainly didn't take as long as I thought though!"

"Well let's see if you're as strong as your teammate, Quilava," Eziray said with a smile, bending down slightly to talk to the Fire-type. The Quilava grinned and the flames on his body extended as he pumped himself up for battle.

"Quilava, let's start this off with Flame Wheel!" Noah exclaimed. Quilava rolled forward, completely surrounded by flames and rolled towards Gracie who teleported away and appeared behind the Fire-type.

"Awesome, Gracie! Now use Confusion to stop him in his tracks!"

Gracie lifted her arms and blue energy began to emit from both Pokémon's bodies as Quilava came to a sudden halt. Then she thrust her arms forward, sending the Fire-type skidding through the sand.

"Quilava, use Smokescreen! She won't be able to catch you if she can't see you!"

Quilava extinguished its flames and then breathed in, held it for a moment, and blasted a thick dark smoke out of the holes on its back. The smoke drifted through the area, making it completely impossible to see either Pokémon.

"Keep using Teleport, Gracie! He won't be able to find and attack you either!" Eziray ordered. Gracie obviously got the message because moments later, Quilava was blasted out of the puff of smoke with a mass of swirling sand that Gracie had whipped up with Confusion. Gracie then cleared all of the smoke with Confusion as she giggled wildly for all to hear.

"She likes battling," Noah said with a chuckle. "That's good! Hey Quilava, get ahold of yourself and use Dig!"

Quilava shook off all the sand before burrowing deep into the ground.

"Hm…that was cool what you did with the sand, Gracie. Can you move the water too?"

"I SURE CAN, EZ!" Gracie cheered, using Confusion to create a large tidal wave that crashed against the shore and flooded into the hole that Quilava had dug. The Fire-type then blasted out of the ground immediately, out cold.

"YAAAAAY!" Gracie exclaimed. "ONE-ONE! Win one more, mkay, Ezzie?"

"Will do, Gracie!" Eziray exclaimed, calling Gracie back as Noah called his Quilava back.

"Alright, Bayleaf, you're the strongest so I've been saving you for the end," Noah said, looking down at his Bayleaf. She nodded and raced forward.

"I think I'm gonna go with Speedy!" Eziray said, tossing her Treecko's Pokéball into air.

Speedy popped out and the two Grass-types stared each other down.

"I guess I'll go first again, then! Bayleaf, use Vine Whip!"

Vines extended from the buds around Bayleaf's neck, but Speedy was much too quick for them. He dodged the vines for quite some time and then appeared out of nowhere, slamming into Bayleaf's side.

"I guess she calls you Speedy for a reason then!" Noah exclaimed.

"Mhm! Now use Pound, Speedy!"

Speedy zipped around once more and then whipped its tail back and flung it forward towards the other Grass-type.

"Vine Whip again!"

Bayleaf wrapped her vines around Speedy's tail and tossed him into the ground.

"Darnit!" Eziray growled as Speedy stood and brushed the sand off his shoulders.

"Now use Slam!"

Before Speedy could react, Bayleaf slammed her body over him with great force. Then she stood and backed up, awaiting another order.

"Razor Leaf!"

"Detect!"

Bayleaf shook the leaf on her head, sending hundreds of smaller ones at Speedy who was kneeling on one knee at this point. He threw up his right hand, creating a blue energy around his body and causing the leaves to come to a complete stop and fall gently to the ground.

"Body Slam again!"

As soon as the Detect wore off, Bayleaf slammed Speedy against the ground once more.

"Absorb!"

Bayleaf stood but immediately began to cringe as Speedy sent two red beams straight up into her belly. Her health slowly began to degrade as Speedy began to feel stronger. Finally, Bayleaf managed to break free and stood, panting heavily as she stared Speedy down.

"Synthesis!"

Bayleaf smiled and looked up at the sun as she began to glow bright, sparkly yellow.

"Pretty," Lyla thought to herself, drifting away into a daydream.

When the glowing faded, Bayleaf's breathing was back to normal and she seemed much healthier.

"Now use Poison Powder!"

Bayleaf shook her leaf once more and a thick, purple powder was released and blown towards Speedy.

"Quick Attack!"

Speedy began to race back and forth, in a tight zigzag motion, creating a breeze that was strong enough to blow the poisonous dust back into Bayleaf's face. She breathed it in and then began to shake her head violently, trying to get it back out of her system, but it was too late. She sneezed once and then began to cough. The more she coughed, the harder it became to stop, and she was soon caught in a coughing fit and no longer focused on the battle.

"Bayleaf!" Noah called.

"Alright Treecko, let's finish this up with a Quick Attack-Pound combo!"

Treecko dashed forward as fast as he could, flipped up into the air to gain momentum, and then came down like a ton of bricks, slamming into Bayleaf's face with his tail. Bayleaf then fell over and was unable to get back up.

"Nicely done," Noah said, calling Bayleaf back to her ball. "I knew that would be fulfilling. Now we know what we need to work on before we go up against Brawly. Hey, speaking of which, mind if we sit in on your gym battle tomorrow?"

"Not at all!" Eziray said excitedly. The two trainers shook hands and thanked each other for such a good battle.

"Isn't it wonderful, Lyla?" Aiden asked.

"Huh?" she asked, looking up at him.

"That Eziray won! Against all those evolved Pokémon!"

"Oh! She won? Yeah, that's great!"

Aiden didn't say anything but he sensed that something was wrong and at this point, he really wanted to know what was going on inside of Lyla's head. He figured he shouldn't push it, however, and he hoped that someday Lyla would feel comfortable enough to tell him.

**Author Notes:**

For some reason, there are some pretty significant inconsistencies with the anime and the game for this particular chapter. In the anime, the two commanders from this scene are known as Isabel and Harland but I went with the game names (Tabitha and Shelly) so you all might understand who I'm talking about better because most people just play the games. In addition to that, the two orbs were referred to as the Rose Orb and the Indigo Orb, but I stuck with the Red and Blue Orb because that's how they're called in the game. The Magma-Aqua scene in the cavern is very similar to the one in the anime otherwise. Be sure to leave a review if you liked (or didn't like) it!


	16. CH 16 Grace to Gracie!

**Chapter 16: Grace to Gracie!**

"She's really okay, Nurse Joy?" Lyla asked as Nurse joy held out a tray with two Pokéballs on it.

"The Eevee? Yes, she's perfectly fine! She passed her health check-up with flying colors: no illnesses, no deficiencies, no injuries, nothing! She's just as healthy as the others," Nurse Joy assured.

"That's good. I wonder why the cold water only affected her pigments…"

"Cold water?"

"Her egg fell into a freezing cold stream but I rescued it before it could kill her. Eevee are normally brown, right? I think that cold water is the reason for her light fur…"

"Well, I think that's just a coincidence, dear. Very rarely, some Pokémon are born with slight variations. This one just happens to be a different color. I think it was a genetic error, not a result of being exposed to cold water."

"Really?"

"I believe so. Consider yourself lucky that you have such a special Pokémon! And what a lovely ball she's in, by the way!"

"Thank you! It was found at the bottom of the ocean!"

"Excuse me, are you sure that you haven't seen a boy with a tattoo on his neck today?" Eziray suddenly interrupted.

"No, dear. I already told you, I saw him _yesterday _when he dropped off his Bayleaf, who is still here mind you," Nurse Joy replied with a frown.

"That's the fifth time you've asked, Ez," Lyla said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry! I just don't understand why he wouldn't be here by now! We agreed to meet at the Pokémon Center 'first thing in the morning,' didn't we?"

"Yes, Eziray. We did. But to normal people, 'first thing in the morning' means right when you wake up. But you see, it's six AM and _normal_ people haven't woken up yet unless they have to go to school or to work!"

"Sorry, but after that battle yesterday and our encounter with Team Magma and Team Aqua, I'm pumped! I know I can win this gym battle and I'm tired of waiting!"

But to Eziray's disappointment, Noah kept them waiting for quite a while. They sat around, twiddling their thumbs, until about ten AM when he finally came in to pick up his Bayleaf. Eziray pounced on him immediately.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"Um. Sleeping?" he said, completely surprised by her behavior.

"You're lucky I waited for you! We've been here for like four hours and I'm so pumped for this battle!"

"And I'm pumped to see it!"

"Well Aiden and I are kinda pumped for breakfast…" Lyla said meekly.

"We don't have time for that!" Eziray exclaimed as her Pokémon crowded around her and Gracie's belly grumbled.

"Are you sure we can't eat first, Ezzie?" the Psychic-type asked innocently.

"Of course we can!" Eziray exclaimed, picking up her Pokémon and rocking it in her arms.

"Oh Eziray, how unpredictable you are…" Lyla trailed off with a sigh.

The trainers exited the Pokémon Center and headed to the nearest café with all of their Pokémon. The trainers took a seat at a big table and Skitty went over to hop into Lyla's lap but Eevee was already there so she sighed and took a seat on the floor with the other Pokémon. Eziray scooped up Gracie, set her in her lap and announced that it was the Ralts' first ever gym battle. The others applauded and wished the little Psychic-type luck.

"Aww, shucks guys!" Gracie said, blushing slightly.

When the food arrived, Mudkip was the first to finish his and immediately moved on to Combusken's but the Fire-type knocked him into the wall for even trying to snatch his food.

"Mya…" Skitty trailed off as the two began to quarrel and disrupt everyone else.

"Mudkip, return…" Lyla trailed off, calling back the mischievous little Water-type.

Meanwhile, Charo kept dumping portions of his food into Baby's bowl. He insisted on giving Baby some of his food so that she would have plenty of energy for her battle that day. Baby, however, could barely even finish her own food so the two began to argue over what was best for her. While that was going on, Eevee was just staring at her food and wouldn't touch it for some reason.

"What's the matter, Eevee?" Lyla asked as the Normal-type stuck up her nose.

"I don't think she likes it…" Noah trailed off.

"Why? What's wrong with it? All the other Pokémon like it."

"Eh…" Eevee grunted, pushing the food away.

"Why couldn't we all have nice, behaved Pokémon like Noah's," Lyla mumbled, watching as all four of Noah's Pokémon sat and ate their food quietly.

"That would be too boring," Eziray said as she set her glass of milk on the ground for Skitty.

"I guess you're right," Lyla said, staring at Mudkip's ball with admiration.

"Done," Noah said, dropping his fork on the plate in front of them.

Lyla looked around and realized that everyone else was done except her, even Skitty.

"Come on Lyla, shovel!" Eziray exclaimed playfully.

"Don't rush me!" Lyla whined, gulping down the rest of her food as quickly as possible.

When she was finished, they paid their bill and headed out to the Dewford Island Gym where Brawly was patiently awaiting them.

"Hey dudes! I was wondering when you'd get here! I have a little bit of bad news though…" Brawly trailed off as the trainers arrived.

"WHAT?" Eziray demanded, worried about her gym battle.

"Well the battle I had yesterday was wicked rough and I can't use my gym arena until it's all fixed up…"

"So that means I can't challenge you today?"

"Nah, that just means we have to battle somewhere else!"

"On the beach?"

"Nah, we're gonna head over to my private training place. One of my students is already waiting for us there. She's going to be our ref."

"Awesome! Lead the way!"

Eziray and the others followed Brawly to the beach and walked along it for a ways until they reached the mouth of a rather large cave. He entered it and led them through a door which brought them to a weight room. They continued through the weight room until they reached another door. Brawly opened it.

"This is the battle field _we'll _be using today, Eziray," he said as they entered the room and he flipped a switch. Several lights around the room powered on, revealing a rocky battlefield of stone which was surrounded by a moat filled with large, jagged rocks. At the center of the battlefield was a small circle with a line through it and small holes were scattered about it. Around the moat was another area of stone where the spectators could stand and watch.

"This is a lot different than Roxanne's gym…" Lyla trailed off.

"Gym leaders can do whatever they want with their fields, Lyla. Something like this is pretty typical, but I am curious to see what sort of advantage the water will give him. And what's with the holes?" Aiden said.

"I dig it. I just hope that his usual battlefield isn't ready by tomorrow 'cause I'd like to try this one out," Noah said.

Brawly and Eziray positioned themselves on long stone platforms that extended over the moat from the stone area where the spectators stood. Brawly's referee also positioned herself along the sidelines; she was a young girl, about as old as the trainers, and she had long blue hair that was tied back into a messy pony tail. She was wearing navy blue, heavy-duty gloves, red spandex pants with navy blue elastic and a matching spandex top that was short enough to reveal her entire mid-section.

"Alright," she announced, holding up a green flag in one hand and a red flag in the other. "Each side will use two Pokémon and only the challenger will be allowed to substitute. If both sides are ready, then the battle may now commence!"

"Machop, I choose you!" Brawly exclaimed, sending out a burly little blue Pokémon.

Without saying anything, Noah held up what looked to be a Pokédex. His looked more like a flip-phone and it even had a cell phone antennae branching off from it.

"I guess Pokédexes are different in every region then," Lyla thought.

"Machop, the Superpower Pokémon: Machop have muscles that never tire no matter how much they exercise and they have enough strength to throw one hundred average-sized adults," Noah's Dex informed.

"_One-hundred_ adults? Better watch out, Ez. Machop seems like a force to be reckoned with…" Lyla said to herself.

"Alright and I choose Baby!" Eziray exclaimed, sending out her Dratini.

"Woah! Never seen one of those in Hoenn before! Aren't they supposed to be like really rare?" Brawly asked as he admired Baby.

"That's what I've heard," Eziray said with a wide grin.

"I'm looking forward to watching her battle then!"

"Alright, you asked for it! Baby, let's start it off with Twister!"

Baby whipped her tail around and around, creating a small cyclone that Machop didn't even try to dodge; it whirled him around a few times and sent him tumbling back a bit but he managed to get right back up on his feet as if he were getting back onto a surfboard.

"His endurance is high, Baby, so let's hit him again with a stronger Twister!"

This one didn't do much better and neither did the next one or even the next one; Machop just kept getting back up as if it were nothing.

"…Are we missing or what?" Eziray asked.

"I don't get it! He has to be taking _some_ damage," Lyla said, cocking her head.

"It's like he's just absorbing the impact or something…" Noah trailed off.

"I guess all that surfing does make a difference," Eziray thought to herself. "Brawly's Pokémon are able to absorb physical attacks without taking much damage I guess…"

"Getting tired?" Brawly asked.

"No! We're just getting started! Baby, use Dragon Rage!"

"Dodge it Machop! Then use Karate Chop"

Baby opened her mouth and created a large fiery orb that she then sent at her opponent but Machop was able to jump out of the way and avoid it with ease. And as soon as he landed, he literally hit the ground running and struck Baby across the face with the side of his hand. As she flew back, she wrapped her tail around his wrist and then used it as leverage to prop herself up and hit him with Dragon Rage.

"Good job, Baby!" Eziray praised.

Machop tried to rub his scorched face but Baby was in the way so he swung his arm back and smashed a boulder with her body to get her off.

"_Ouch_," Lyla whined. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"It looks like she's getting up," Aiden assured.

"That's it, Baby, you've got this!" Eziray encouraged.

A low rumbling sound began and Machop immediately positioned himself over one of the holes at the center of the field, facing Baby.

"What's happening?" Eziray wondered out loud.

"You all wanted to know about the water right? Well you're about to find out! Machop, get ready with Cross-Chop" Brawly exclaimed.

"Maaah!" Machop exclaimed, crossing its arms in front of its body as they began to glow.

"I don't think so! Baby, use Dragon Rage!"

Baby fired yet another Dragon Rage at Machop and at that moment, a geyser shot off beneath Machop and sent him flying right through her Dragon Rage, allowing him to absorb some of the energy of Dragon Rage into his own attack. Before Baby could react, he was blasted right into her and uncrossed his arms to release all the energy and blow her back with great force.

"That was wicked, Machop! Now use Seismic Toss!"

Before Baby could get up, Machop had his hand gripped around her tail and he began to swing her around and around. When he finally released, she was thrown straight into a wall and she bounced off of the stone bellow and into the moat.

"This isn't looking very good…" Lyla trailed off.

"Yeah…Brawly's sure a lot tougher than Roxanne was," Noah added.

"It's not over yet though," Aiden said with a smile. "Eziray's tough too."

"Hey! How are you holding up down there, Baby?" Eziray called, peering into the moat.

"Oooah…" Baby whined, poking her head up through the water.

"Well, at least you're still conscious, right?"

"Oooo!" Baby muttered with a sigh as she ducked back down into the water.

"Hey Machop, get on down to where the action is!"

"Mah!" Machop exclaimed with a nod before leaping off the edge and landing on a flat stone platform in the middle of the moat.

"Machop may know how to surf, but he can't swim anywhere near as well as a Dratini can!" Eziray exclaimed. "Baby, use Twister! As much as you can!"

Baby began to whip up twisters as quickly as she could but Machop took a sideways stance on the stone and rocked back and forth to dodge them as if he were controlling a surfboard. Eventually there was a pause and everyone assumed that Baby was getting tired, but then, suddenly, a Twister came at Machop from behind so he abandoned the rock and jumped into the water to avoid it.

"Perfect!" Eziray exclaimed. "Now use Thunderwave!"

The entire moat lit up with bright electrical energy and Machop didn't really take any damage but he felt his body become tingly and he knew that he might have difficulty moving now.

"So she was just trying to get him into the water then, huh?" Noah realized with a grin. "Then she could use the water to amp that Thunderwave."

"I told you she's good," Aiden said with a smirk.

"YAY EZIRAY!" Lyla cheered.

"Now let's finish this up! Use Wrap!"

Machop slowly pulled itself out of the water and onto the rock, but it wasn't long before Baby slithered up onto it with him and wrapped her body around his. She began to constrict and Eziray was about to call her final move, but Machop's muscles began to tense as he fought against her squeezing. Baby tried to keep a grip on him, but he was just too strong; he managed to break free and wrap his arms around her.

"Sorry, Eziray, but I don't think Baby's gonna win this one! Machop, use Seismic Toss!"

Machop jumped high up into the air, at an angle so that he was up over the stone field again, and then he began to somersault down with great force until he smashed Baby into the rocky ground below them.

"The Dratini is unable to battle!" the ref announced, waving her red flag. "Machop wins!"

"Baby, return!" Eziray exclaimed, calling her back. "Alright, Gracie! I'm counting on you!"

"I'll do my best!" the Ralts exclaimed, telepathically, as she popped out of her ball.

"Woah, radical! A Psychic-type? Gnarly match-up. This is gonna be one hot battle!" Brawly exclaimed.

"Yep! Gracie, use Confusion!"

Gracie nodded and threw up her arms, sending the Machop flying back into some of the rocky pillars that extended from the moat.

"Maa-cha! Maa-cha!" the Machop grunted, desperately flailing in midair for a moment before successfully taking hold of the nearest pillar so that he wouldn't fall into the water below. He sighed with relief and then suddenly noticed that Gracie had somehow made her way to the pillar next to his.

"Karate Chop!"

Using all of his upper-body strength, the Fighting-type flung himself up and landed at the tip of Gracie's pillar, readying his hand for Karate Chop.

"Confusion again, Gracie!"

Gracie jumped back to the next pillar while she controlled both of Machop's arms, forcing him to chop away at the pillar on which he was standing.

"Maah," he cried, desperately trying to control himself. It was no use; the pillar quickly broke away beneath him and he fell straight down to the moat, landing on his back on the stone platform. Before he could get up, Gracie was already using Confusion to bury him alive with the rubble from the broken pillar.

"Chaa…" the Machop groaned, barely managing to pull itself out of from beneath the rocks. Gracie was already back on the battle arena, awaiting further orders.

"Alright let's finish him off with one more Confusion attack!"

Using Confusion, Gracie bounced Machop from on rock pillar to another, back and forth until he was back up on the battle arena as well. When she finally dropped him on the ground, he was out cold.

"Machop is unable to battle, the Ralts wins!" the ref announced, holding up a flag.

"Machop, return!" Brawly exclaimed as he called back his fallen Pokémon. "Not bad! But let's see if you can handle this guy! Hariyama, let's go!"

Brawly threw a ball into the air, releasing an enormous, sumo wrestling-looking Pokémon that made the ground tremble slightly as it walked.

"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon: Hariyama is the evolved form of Makuhita. It enjoys challenging others to tests of strength and it has the power to stop a train with one mighty slap of its palm," Eziray's Pokédex informed.

"Hariyama?" Lyla asked, cocking her head. "That thing was much littler and cuter the last time I saw it…"

"His opponent from yesterday must have been a tough one. To put enough pressure on that Pokémon to evolve, I mean…" Aiden trailed off.

"Do you think Eziray has a chance? Gracie doesn't exactly have a variety of moves to use. Just Confusion and Teleport, right?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Any good trainer can make do with that. I just worry that Gracie's Psychic power isn't enough to lift such an enormous Pokémon…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well when my Eevee first evolved into Espeon, she had a hard time concentrating hard enough to move big objects. We wound up meditating together every day and that's how she eventually developed the ability to communicate telepathically with humans. Ez is well aware of this too. See how her expression has turned pretty serious? That's because she's worried that Gracie won't be able to lift that thing and Teleport isn't exactly enough to win this battle. Her other Pokémon wouldn't do much better though. Machop couldn't even be taken down by physical attacks. There's no way she can beat this one without Gracie…"

Noah was silent but listened curiously to the other two.

"I hope this works…" Eziray trailed off. "Gracie, use Confusion!"

Gracie threw up her arms and both she and the Hariyama became outlined in blue energy. Unfortunately, Aiden's prediction came true and the Hariyama didn't budge.

"Looks like someone needs to learn how to concentrate a little better! You should take her out on the waves sometime! But for now, Hariyama, use Seismic Toss!"

Hariyama wrapped his arms around the Psychic-type and jumped high up into the air. Then he came spiraling back down with great force. Eziray ordered Gracie to use Teleport, however, so only Hariyama smashed back into the ground.

"That was fun!" Gracie exclaimed as the Fighting-type picked itself up.

"She's crazy. _I_ would have been terrified," Lyla muttered as a low roar began to echo through the room.

"Here comes that geyser again…" Eziray trailed off as the Hariyama positioned itself over one of the holes.

"That's right, Hariyama! Get ready to use Arm Thrust!"

Eziray said nothing and the roaring grew louder for a few moments until it finally spewed out and sent Hariyama flying towards Gracie.

"Confusion on the water!"

Gracie threw up her arms once more, changing the direction of the flow of water beneath Hariyama. He flailed wildly for a moment as he fell to the ground, landing flat on his face.

"That was smart. I would have never even thought of that," Lyla thought to herself.

Hariyama stood, brushing itself off with its enormous hands and Brawly then ordered it to use Arm Thrust on the ground. The Fighting-type nodded and then began to break apart the ground vigorously, creating many baseball-sized stones all around him.

"What's he planning?" Eziray thought to herself.

Suddenly, the Hariyama picked up one of the stones and hurled it at Gracie, nailing her right in the forehead.

"OWIE!" she whined as he hurled another one. "Stop that!"

"Teleport out of the way, silly!"

"Oh…"

Gracie disappeared and reappeared on one of the pillars extending from the mote. Hariyama continued to throw rocks at her and she continued to teleport from pillar to pillar. Finally, he nailed her with a stone that knocked her off balance and she fell to a platform below. As she stood, Hariyama landed in front of her with a booming thud and Brawly ordered him to use Knock Off. He raised his palm and brought it down to slap her but she teleported out of the way and reappeared behind him.

"MMMMMRRR…" she grunted, trying once more to lift him with Confusion.

"Don't blow a blood vessel, Gracie. It's okay if you can't lift him! We'll figure out something else!"

"Okay, hurry please!" Gracie exclaimed.

"Vital Throw now!"

"Wuh?" Gracie said, looking back to her opponent who then kicked her up with his knee and hooked his arm around her body, slamming her back into the ground.

"Gracie!" Eziray called.

"I'm fine…" Grace said, standing up and glaring at the Hariyama. "Your Fighting moves tickle!"

"I dig her spirit!" Brawly exclaimed. "But we're not giving up either! Hariyama, Arm Thrust!"

Hariyama began to pelt Gracie quite vigorously with its palms, knocking her around the platform and towards the water.

"_Now_ you can use Confusion, Gracie!"

Gracie stood and threw up her arms before he could get in anymore throws and then he began to smack himself with the same force.

"Hey! Why ya hittin' yourself?" Gracie asked with great pleasure.

Eventually, Hariyama backed itself into the water and Gracie applauded excitedly.

"Alright Gracie, come on back up here before he gets back out!"

As Hariyama climbed back out of the water, Gracie blew him a kiss and teleported back up to the arena. Hariyama grunted and got back up on the platform and scratched his head as he tried to figure out how exactly _he_ was going to get back up. Suddenly, the room began to rumble again.

"Hariyama, you can get back up there! Use the pillars!" Brawly ordered.

Hariyama nodded and leaped up, jumping back and forth between pillars until it reached the arena.

"How could such a big Pokémon be so agile?" Lyla wondered out loud.

"Meeyaa…" Skitty said, wondering the same thing.

"Training?" Noah suggested.

"But it evolved like yesterday…"

"Well then it's just that powerful."

When Hariyama spotted Gracie, she was standing at the middle of the arena, waving at him. As he cocked his head the geysers shot off once again and Gracie controlled two of them, sending the blasts of water right at the Fighting-type. Before he could react, he was hit by them both and blasted off the edge. He crashed into and broke most of the rock pillars that were still standing on his way down and splashed into the water at the bottom. Everyone held their breath for a moment, watching the water carefully until he floated to the surface, unconscious.

"Hariyama is unable to battle. The challenger wins!" the ref exclaimed, waving a flag.

"Gnarly…" Brawly trailed off with a sigh. "I don't think I've ever lost two battles in a row before."

"So that Debber guy beat you then?"

"Debber? I think you mean Declan, bro and yeah he did. Bummer…"

"Well I hate to be the one to tell you this but you're gonna lose a third battle!" Gracie exclaimed.

"Gracie!" Eziray shouted, wondering where that outburst came from.

"Well I _am_ Psychic!" Gracie whined. "But you don't need to be Psychic to know that Noah is going beat this guy too! Right Noah?"

"I'll do my best, dear," Noah said with a grin.

"Please excuse her! I'm not sure why she's suddenly acting so strange!" Eziray exclaimed.

"No worries! She's probably just excited. Was this her first gym victory?"

"Sure was!" Gracie exclaimed. "How did I do!"

"You were radical, little dudette! C'mere!" Brawly exclaimed.

Gracie teleported to him and he knelt down and handed her the Knuckle Badge.

"So shiny!" she exclaimed, admiring the badge with twinkling eyes.

"Yep! Make sure you give that to your trainer now and you'll be able to battle in the Pokémon League someday!"

"T-thank you!" Gracie exclaimed as she hurried over to Eziray to show her the new badge.

"How cute!" Lyla exclaimed. "Gym leaders sure have a way with Pokémon, huh Aiden!"

Aiden smiled as Eziray and Gracie jumped for joy.

After the battle, Lyla broke away from the group and went to go do some training on the beach. Eziray's victory had inspired her to strive harder for next contest and she wanted to be well-prepared for it. Eziray hadn't slept much the previous night so she crashed in the hotel and the boys sat around, fiddling with Aiden's guitar for a while.

"The first Espeon was discovered in the Johto region, you know," Noah said, admiring Aiden's Espeon who was curled up in the corner.

"I know that…" she said, completely unimpressed by the boy's knowledge.

"Don't mind her. She's a little cold to people she doesn't really know sometimes," Aiden said.

"It's okay," Noah said, studying Aiden's Combusken who was slashing at the air. "That one's pretty cool. Where did you get it?"

"It evolved from a Torchic I caught near Lyla's hometown. He's got a bit of an attitude problem too."

"So you only have those two then?"

"Yep! The rest of my Pokémon are back at home in Kanto."

"And you just play music, huh? You don't battle gyms?"

"Yeah, and I'm the entertainer and the one who keeps those two out of trouble. I'm also kind of the group's navigator too, I guess. Eziray has the worst sense of direction I've ever seen and I don't even think Lyla knows how to work her own PokéNav. But as for Pokémon, I've never really had any goals like Lyla and Eziray. I like to bond with Pokémon and take care of them and travel but I've never really had a competitive streak."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"Nope. You play guitar?"

"Only a little. I used to have one but I'm probably not as good as you."

The two continued to talk and take turns with the guitar until Eziray finally woke up and interrupted them.

"YOU GUYS! WE HAVE TO GO!" she shouted.

"Go where, go?" Aiden asked as she began to pack her things, as well as Lyla's and Aiden's.

"We're gonna miss the last ferry to Slateport," she whined.

"Oh heaven forbid we relax and get a good night of sleep and take the first one in the morning!" Aiden muttered.

"We have no time to waste! We've been slacking. I only have two badges under my belt and we shouldn't be wasting our time here! Onward, to Slateport!"

"First of all, we haven't wasted _any_ time because we have you to keep us in line and second, there is no gym in Slateport…"

"Wuuuuuh?" Eziray demanded, completely crushed by that statement. Then she thought for a moment and concluded that that was an even better reason to hit the road as quickly as possible.

"Well good luck convincing Lyla to cease training and leave tonight. She's gonna be mad at you…"

"Just tell her that the next Slateport Contest is coming up. I think it's in like four or five days or something," Noah suggested.

Eziray thanked him and left in a hurry. She found Lyla on the beach, working Eevee and Skitty to the bone.

"Lyla! Let's get going, mmkay?"

"Are you serious? You just got a badge. The Pokémon League isn't tomorrow, you know! There's no need to rush…"

"Okay fine then. I just hope we make it to your contest in time…"

"What contest?"

"You mean you didn't hear? There's one coming up in Slateport in a few days…"

"Well…I guess we could train in Slateport…What do you guys think? Wanna go for another boat ride?"

"MYA!" Skitty exclaimed.

"VUI!" Eevee shouted over Skitty, as if competing with her.

"Well then that settles it. I've already packed your bag!"

"You did what?"

"Come on, let's go check out the ferry schedule!"

"Wait a minute Eziray, you can't just go messing with people's things. That's so rude!"

Eziray ignored her and began walking along the beach to find a ferry port.

"Eziray are you listening to me?" Lyla called, running after her.

"Eee!" Eevee exclaimed following after her trainer and kicking sand into Skitty's face.

Skitty rubbed her eyes with her paws and coughed out all the sand and then looked up, frowning slightly. For a moment, she felt a little jealous of the new Normal-type and then shook her head, realizing how silly that was, and then she bounded after them.

**Author Notes:**

I hope you guys liked it! One thing I wanted to explain was paralysis. In the game, it affects the inflicted Pokémon randomly and it sort of does so in the anime as well (sparks will randomly flicker around the body and prevent movement). Also, in case you didn't know, Lyla's Eevee is "shiny" (if you're going by the games). In the anime, shiny Pokémon do appear occasionally but they're just noted as being a different color or it's not even emphasized at all. I sort of made up my own explanation for it. Anyway, read and review! Look forward to the next chapter too; it's pretty intense!


	17. Ch 17 Abandoned

**Chapter 17: Abandoned**

_Lyla was about eleven or twelve years old when it happened. _

"_Do you think they'll like the pink ones, Skitty?"_

"_Meeyah!"_

"_Can you hand me the ribbon?"_

_The two were sitting at a table in her mother's flower shop and she was arranging some flowers in a vase for someone's wedding anniversary. Her mother suddenly came in, arms full of groceries purchased from the grocery store next door. Lyla paid no attention as her mother came in because she was too busy trying to perfect the arrangement she was working on. She finally noticed her mother when all of the items hit the floor._

"_Oh darn…what a mess," Caroline, Lyla's mother, trailed off as she bent down to clean up what she had dropped._

"_Need some help, mom?" Lyla asked with a giggle as she walked over to assist her mother._

"_I figured that if I asked, I would just get some back talk, as always. Although, ever since you met Skitty, I must admit that you have really improved!"_

"_Aw shucks, ma!"_

"_I mean it; you've really begun to develop a sense of responsibility and compassion for others. I guess you're just growing up, but either way, I'm so proud of you, sweetie!"_

_Lyla smiled without saying much and carried some of the bags to the cooler in the back of the store. Then she returned and continued to arrange the flower bouquet while her mother took inventory. It wasn't long before the bell on the door jingled as someone entered the store. It was a normal occurrence so Lyla didn't even look up, but her mother turned around and her face quickly filled with anger._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked softly. This caught Lyla's attention and she looked up to find two strangely-dressed men standing at the front of the store. She was silent but watched cautiously as they approached Caroline._

"_We have some business to discuss with you, remember? You agreed to it…" one of the men said._

"_I told Maxie that I would speak to you both on my own terms. What is the meaning of this, Team Magma?"_

"_Don't be a bitch, Caroline. We're not here to cause trouble. We just wanna talk."_

"_Lyla, take Skitty to the back room and clean it now," Caroline said calmly._

"_I already cleaned it, mom. Don't worr –"_

"_Go to the back, now!" Caroline demanded._

_Lyla had never seen her mother so flustered before and decided that it wasn't worth it to argue, so she got up quietly and went to back room. The men watched her silently with mischievous grins on their faces._

"_You are not to look at her. You are not to speak to her. You are not to go anywhere near her. Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?"_

_Lyla closed the door behind her and pressed her ear against it, in hopes to better understand what was going on._

"_Myee?"_

"_Shhh, Skitty! I don't know what's going on either. Be quiet so I can find out, okay?"_

_The two grunts murmured quietly and Lyla couldn't make out what they were saying, but she sensed a bit of threat in their tones. After a while, there was a pause of hesitation and Caroline asked if there was 'any other way.' _

"_Any other way to do what?" Lyla wondered, gradually becoming more aware of the situation. One of the grunts muttered something and the other gave an apology that made Lyla's heart sink. The next sound she heard was a vase shattering against the floor followed by what sounded like a violent struggle._

"_MOM?" Lyla shouted, extremely alarmed and in total panic at this point. The struggling suddenly stopped and all Lyla could hear was whispering so she called her mom again, on the verge of tears._

"_Stay there, sweetie! They'll be gone in a minute!" Caroline called and then continued in a lower voice, "Please, you have to think of my daughter. This could affect her for the rest of her life! What is she going to do?"_

"_She seems pretty bright. She'll manage. But I'm afraid you'll have to come with us!"_

"_What do you think you're doing? Get your hands off of me!"_

_Lyla took ahold of Skitty and squeezed her tightly as the three struggled once more. _

"_What do we do, Skitty? What do we do?" Lyla sobbed. "They're trying to take her away…But why? What did she do to them? We don't have any money. What do they want?"_

_There was suddenly a loud thud and it all ceased. Lyla held her breath and there was only silence. She and Skitty waited and listened; eventually, the bell on the front door jingled as someone left and Lyla exhaled._

"_M-mom?" she whispered. "Are you here?"_

_There was silence for a few moments more and then the sound of footsteps gradually neared the back room where Lyla and Skitty were waiting. Lyla froze as the doorknob turned and then she backed away from it slowly as it opened. One of the grunts and her mother had disappeared and the other had stayed behind; he entered the room._

"_Wh-what's going on? Who are you? Is my mom okay?" Lyla asked, dropping Skitty who then darted to a table to hide beneath it._

_He said nothing and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, lifted her up and held her in the air for a moment while she kicked violently and screamed for help._

"_Shhhhhhh," he said. "I'm gonna see to it that your mother will be just fine but I need you to promise me something okay? OKAY?"_

_Lyla was completely petrified at this point and couldn't say a word, so he gave her one violent shake to get the response he wanted out of her._

"_OKAY! PUT ME DOWN!"_

"_If you're quiet about this, go home, watch TV, make dinner, and go to bed. Your mother will be back in the morning or perhaps within the next few days, weeks, months…it doesn't matter how long. But you must keep that mouth shut. Do not go to the police. Do not try to find her. If I learn that you have alerted the authorities or are pursuing us, I will see to it that your mother is killed. Do I make myself clear?"_

"_Yes…" Lyla whined, tears streaming down her face. He smiled and dropped her to the floor. _

"_I'll hold you to it then. Have a nice day, sweetheart."_

_Lyla scurried underneath a table, took Skitty into her arms and sobbed as the man slammed the door behind him. Then he slammed the front door so hard that the noise awoke Lyla from her sleep. _

She sat up and looked around, remembering that they had taken an overnight ferry and were on their way to Slateport. The boat was rocking slightly and there was some fierce pounding coming from somewhere. Lyla touched her face and realized that she had been crying in her sleep and wondered if Aiden or Eziray had noticed. The pounding suddenly subsided and Lyla wondered what it was for a moment.

"Skitty…you awake?" she whispered.

All of a sudden, there was another loud thud, as if something was ramming into the side of the ship because the entire boat swayed this time and Lyla fell out of the top bunk and onto the floor. The boat bobbed back to its normal position and Lyla slid along the floor with it. Aiden and Eziray were awake and sitting up in their beds.

"Um…I've never been on a boat before so is that normal?" Lyla asked, looking around.

Almost immediately, there was another thud and the boat rocked again, much more violently. The trainers grabbed hold of bed posts and held on for dear life as the crashing continued and the boat rocked vigorously. This continued for quite some time and then it suddenly stopped.

"Is everyone okay?" Eziray asked.

"I'm fine! Skitty?" Lyla asked.

"Mya!"

"Let's go check it out," Aiden said, hopping out of bed.

"I second that!" Lyla exclaimed, following very close behind him for protection.

Eziray quickly scooped up Skitty and went along too. When the trainers reached the deck, they were greeted by several other passengers who had already assembled and were scanning the water for something.

"Hi, what's going on?" Eziray asked, handing Skitty to Lyla.

"There's a monster in the water!" a small child exclaimed excitedly.

"This is very serious, Meena," the girl's mother said, fastening a life jacket to her child.

"Monster?" Lyla asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I bet it's Team Aqua! SHOW YOURSELVES!" Eziray demanded.

"ROOOOOAAAAAHHH!" a Gyarados roared as it emerged from the water. The entire deck of passengers fell to their knees and cowered as it prepared to fire a Hyper Beam. Before it could charge, however, Espeon was pelting it with Swift so it ceased the attack to brace itself.

"So there's Gyarados in Hoenn too, hm?" Eziray asked, watching as the Water-type fled.

"Are you all okay?" Aiden asked as the group of passengers slowly stood back up.

Lyla scanned the water for the Gyarados, practically pressing her body against Aiden in fear.

"I've never seen a Gyarados so big before," the first mate said, joining them on the deck. "The captain asked me to check for any major damage. I wanted to thank whatever trainer scared that thing off before it destroyed the ferry!"

"That would be him," Lyla said, pushing Aiden forward.

The first mate saluted him and proceeded through a door to go inspect the area that the Gyarados had been slamming into.

"You okay, Lyla?" Aiden asked.

"I'm fine…" Lyla trailed off, deep in thought about the dream she had had. It was a reoccurring dream that haunted her quite frequently since the day that it took place. This was the first time she had had it since she joined Aiden and Eziray.

Suddenly, the boat turned sharply and began speeding as quickly as it could move, knocking all of the passengers over.

"What the hell?" Eziray demanded as the first mate came racing back out and bolted straight into the captain's room.

"Something must be wrong," Lyla said.

Eziray got up and entered the room from where the first mate had left and the other two curiously followed. They began stepping down a staircase which eventually led them to a room that was quickly filling with water.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S SINKING!" Lyla shouted in a panic, racing back out to the deck as fast as she could.

"Aiden…" Eziray trailed off.

"Don't say it…"

"_Who _said it would be a good idea to buy the sparkly pink life vests, Aiden?"

"You did, Ez…"

"And _who _said that they were ridiculous and that it would be a waste of money?"

"I did, Ez…"

"_Who_ was right?"

"You were, Ez…"

"Damn straight! So if we die, it's your fault!" Eziray exclaimed as she raced back to the deck, giggling.

"Only _you_ would laugh at this situation," Aiden called. "And maybe Gracie…and maybe Olivia if she was with me…but that's not the point! Hey, I have an idea, why don't you come back here with Gracie and help me and Espeon prevent any more water from getting in?"

Eziray was already gone so he sighed, turned to Espeon, and concluded that they would stop the boat from sinking themselves.

"What happened here?" Espeon asked as she used Psychic to blog the holes that the Gyarados had created.

"That aggressive Water-type decided to play Titanic with us," Aiden said, scratching his head.

"I see…"

"Can you hold it?"

"Yes. It is not difficult, but I will grow tired eventually. Might you know how close we are to land?"

"I actually don't…"

"I hope this captain perhaps knows of a nearby island of some sort because I will not be able to hold it for more than thirty minutes; I will expend all of my energy. Could you please go tell him that?"

"Yeah…I'll go see if anyone on deck has a Psychic Pokémon to help you out too…"

"Thank you, Aiden."

"No, _thank_ you. For saving our lives…"

"Do not thank me for that, Aiden. Besides, it is a normal occurrence now," she said, looking up at him with a playful beam, which was pretty rare behavior for Espeon.

He returned to the deck to find Eziray and Lyla leaning over the rail, staring off into the distance at something.

"What are you talking about? I don't see it…"

"You don't see that? Right there? It's definitely a ghost ship!"

"Eziray…even if there _was_ a ship there, it's not going to be haunted…"

"Sure it will! I mean it probably suffered the same fate that we almost did!"

"What are you two talking about?" Aiden finally asked.

"Eziray says she can see a ship in the distance and she thinks it's haunted or something. But there's no such thing as ghosts and even if there were, SHIPS DON'T HAVE SOULS!" Lyla explained, turning to Eziray for the last part.

"They can still turn into ghosts!"

"No they can't! They don't die, Eziray! They're never alive to begin with!"

"Shouldn't we be more concerned about the fate of _this_ ship than about the fate of a ship that may or may not even be there?" Aiden asked, trying to be polite about it.

"Oh, it's _there_, Aiden!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Besides, Ez said you'd take care of the problem so we've stopped worrying about it…" Lyla trailed off.

"Oh, did she now?" Aiden muttered, grabbing Gracie's Pokéball from Eziray's belt before walking towards the captain's cabin.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip exclaimed, surfacing beneath the two girls.

"What did you find, Mudkip?" Lyla asked.

"Kip!"

"SEE! I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A SHIP!" Eziray shouted in victory.

"Yeah, but that's no ghost ship! Maybe they'll be able to save us!" Lyla exclaimed, rushing after Aiden.

She entered the cabin to find Aiden explaining the situation to the captain and how he had temporarily fixed it. The captain seemed flustered and thanked Aiden but mentioned that there was no dry land within a thirty-minute traveling distance from there.

"Um?" Lyla asked sweetly.

"Everything okay?" Aiden asked.

"Well Mudkip says he did see a ship and he can lead us to it so maybe they'll help us?" Lyla asked.

"BUT WHAT IF THEY'RE PIRATES?" Eziray demanded, running up and about knocking Lyla over from behind.

"There are no pirates, Ez…" Aiden and Lyla trailed off in unison.

"I know what ship you're talking about…" the captain trailed off.

"You do?" Lyla asked.

"Yep. It's been there for years, farther back than I can even remember, as a matter of fact. I should have thought about it before…"

"Wait. It's been anchored there for that long?" Lyla asked.

"Yes and it's been abandoned for that long too."

"I KNEW IT WAS A GHOST SHIP!" Eziray shouted, elbowing Lyla vigorously.

"No, it's not haunted. It was a fancy cruise-liner back in the day but it got caught up on some tall rock formations. It didn't sink. No one died. It's just been stuck there for many, many years. Trainers come from all over Hoenn to visit the ship because it's become quite the battle spot. I think we could certainly get to safety there but I wouldn't recommend exploring the thing and taking part in any battles with trainers cuckoo enough to be there at this hour, but that's up to you I suppose…"

"ALRIGHT!" Eziray exclaimed as she raced out.

"We'll go let the passengers know what's up," Lyla said, taking Aiden by the hand and leading him away.

Before doing so, however, Aiden made a quick stop to check on Espeon and send out Eziray's Ralts to help her. It took thirty minutes exactly to get to the abandoned ship but it was plenty of time for everyone to get their belongings to the deck and be ready to go. Gracie and Espeon, however, were extremely tired at that point so they were called back to rest as the passengers got off the boat. Everyone managed to get to the deck of the abandoned ship safely and the ferry slowly sank before their eyes.

"You cold?" Aiden asked. Both of the girls were shivering and huddling together for warmth. And then, as if it weren't chilly enough, an icy wind blew over them and made their teeth chatter.

All of the other passengers began to bundle themselves up in blankets and such but Lyla decided that it would be warmer inside the abandoned ship where the wind wasn't blowing. The other two followed.

"I saw some small boats all docked around the ship. Do you think we'll run into any trainers?" Eziray wondered out loud.

"I kind of hope not," Lyla replied, admiring the old paintings that hung on the walls. She stopped at one and wiped the algae away and it revealed a portrait of a Skitty with a diamond collar. "Awww."

"Why not?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"Because this place is cool! Come on, when will we ever be onboard an abandoned ship again? Don't you want to check this place out?"

"It's actually kind of creepy…" Eziray suddenly realized. "Don't you guys feel like we're being followed?"

"Eziray, we just got here. How could someone be following us already?" Aiden muttered.

"What's down there," Lyla wondered, walking towards a stairway leading down. Aiden and Eziray continued without noticing her go down it.

"I'm starving…Do you think there's any food left in the kitchen?" Eziray asked.

"No, and if there is, I wouldn't eat it," Aiden replied.

"Do _you_ have any food?"

"I think I have some peanuts or something," Aiden said, stopping to investigate his pockets.

"Shh…did you hear that?"

"Yeah, it was a wave hitting the side of the boat. We're in the middle of the _ocean_, Eziray," Aiden said with a chuckle.

"Where's Lyla?"

"…Shit."

"LYLA!" Eziray called.

"You guuuuys," Lyla called back eerily.

"Real cute, Lyla!" Eziray exclaimed rushing forward. "We know it's you!"

"How did she get ahead of us?" Aiden wondered, running after Eziray.

"I'm in here!" Lyla exclaimed as they rushed past a door.

They came back and opened it but it was just an empty janitorial closet.

"I thought her voice came from in here," Eziray said, closing the door in disbelief.

"I thought so too…" Aiden trailed off.

"Now I'm over here!" Lyla's voice echoed.

The two followed it, unsure of what else to do and it led them to the kitchen.

"Alright! Nice find, Lyla!" Eziray exclaimed, snooping through the cabinets.

"Something's not right…" Aiden trailed off.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, for one, the lights are on and there's no electricity on this boat…"

As Eziray realized this, chills began to crawl up her spine. Before she could respond, the lights quickly shut off and all of the cabinets swung open with a loud bang. Then the lights powered on again.

"AIDEN, I WANT TO LEAVE!" Eziray whined.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. But we still haven't found Lyla…"

Suddenly, all of the dishes and silver wear began to fly everywhere and the two ducked under a table for cover.

"I TOLD YOU GUYS THIS WAS A GHOST SHIP! DID YOU BELIEVE ME? NO! SO EZIRAY: TWO. AIDEN AND LYLA: ZERO!"

"There's got to be some sort of explanation for this…"

"Okay, Mr. Physics Major, how do you explain flying plates?"

"It's…" Aiden trailed off as it all stopped and a dark, grayish-blue Pokémon appeared and hovered in front of them, grinning widely. "A Pokémon…"

"Aww, it's cute!" Eziray exclaimed, pointing her Pokédex at it.

"Shuppet, the Puppet Pokémon: Shuppet is said to use its horn to feed on envy and malice and it is very active during the night," the Dex informed.

"Shuppet, there you are!" a boy exclaimed as he raced into the room. "Was he bothering you two? I heard screaming!"

"Wasn't us! We just like hanging out under tables…" Eziray trailed off, realizing how silly that sounded.

"Don't worry about it, kid," Aiden said with a sigh.

"Shuuh!" the Shuppet whined.

"Oh you were just trying to find someone to battle us?" the boy asked.

"I'll battle you!" Eziray volunteered excitedly.

"You will? Awesome! All the other trainers here are sleeping somewhere but Shuppet and I sleep during the day so it's hard to find challengers at this hour!" the boy explained.

"Have you seen our friend by any chance?" Aiden asked.

"I haven't…you, Shuppet?"

The Shuppet shook its head 'no.'

"That's a lie! You were mimicking her voice, remember?" Eziray shot back.

"Shupp-et…"

"He says that he saw your friend wander off. He doesn't know where she went," the boy said.

"I'm sure she's fine," Eziray said. "She's just curious. We'll find her after the battle, okay Aiden?"

"Fine…" he trailed off, taking position as the referee. "This will be a one-on-one battle?"

"Yep!" the boy exclaimed.

"I'm down," Eziray said with a nod as she sent out Charo.

"Wow a Charmander? That's so cool!" the boy exclaimed.

"Shuuu," the Shuppet said with a sigh.

"But you're cool too, Shuppet! In fact, why don't we prove how cool you are by using Shadow Ball!"

Shuppet opened its mouth, forming a small purple orb of energy that it sent flying towards Charo.

"Fire Fang!"

Charo opened his jaw and chomped down on the Shadow Ball with blazing fangs that completely destroyed it before it could do any damage.

"WOAH! SO STRONG!" the boy exclaimed. "You guys aren't rookies, I take it?"

"Far from! Charo, use Metal Claw!"

Charo rushed forward and began slashing away at the Ghost-type who suddenly vanished.

"See? This is why Ghost Pokémon rock!" the boy exclaimed as Charo looked around for the Shuppet. "Use Screech!"

The Shuppet suddenly became visible again and began to scream loudly from behind Charo. The Fire-type responded by throwing his hands up to his head, trying to muffle the awful sound.

"Great! Now give it another Shadow Ball!"

The Shuppet stopped, but before Charo could regain composure, Shuppet knocked him a few feet forward with a Shadow Ball.

"And now, Night Shade!"

Shuppet's eyes began to glow bright red and then two shadowy black beams shot from them at Charo.

"Flamethrower!"

Charo quickly countered the attack with a powerful blast of fire that continued on and drove the Shuppet into a wall. Being a Ghost-type, however, it passed right through the wall with ease.

"Night Shade? Hey, Aiden! Remember that time when we ran into that hoard of Gastly in that cave in Kanto and –"

"Eziray, please focus on the battle," Aiden said, shivering slightly.

"CHAR!" Charo exclaimed angrily, as if being reminded of whatever event she was talking about brought back horrible memories.

"Shuuup," the Shuppet said, floating back into the room and wincing as if it had a headache.

"Oh right! Charo, get ready with another Flamethrower!"

Meanwhile, Lyla was still wandering aimlessly around the ship. She entered a room that was partially submerged in water; there was a pool of dark water towards the back of it that came up through the broken floor and led out to the ocean. She hesitated for a moment, thinking about her dream again, and closed the door behind her. Then she walked to the water's edge and sat in front of it, staring into it as she played back what would have happened next if the Gyarados hadn't woken her up.

_Lyla and Skitty remained trembling under the table for quite some time after the grunt had left. Lyla had no idea what had happened or why it had happened, but she knew that her mother was gone now. She wanted so much to hear that bell jingle again followed by the sound of her mother's voice, but she somehow knew that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't sure if she should stay there or go home. She didn't want anyone to see her upset or ask where Caroline was because she didn't want them to know. She wanted to do as the grunt said and keep it a secret because she feared that he would do something terrible to her mother if she disobeyed. She began to weep harder, as much as she could, in hopes to get it out of her system. She decided that she would go home once it got dark but she still had to stop crying just in case she happened to cross anyone on her way home._

"_Mrrr," Skitty purred, trying to comfort her trainer because she didn't understand what was going on in Lyla's mind._

_Lyla hugged the Normal-type tighter and forced a slight smile to make Skitty think that she was helping. The two sat there together, for several hours, until Lyla had finally stopped crying. At this point, nothing seemed real anymore. The events of that day had become completely foggy to Lyla and she suddenly wanted to go home because she was convinced that her mother would be waiting there for her. She told herself that it never happened and maybe she had just fallen asleep and dreamt it. She smiled and scooped up her Pokémon before closing up the shop and heading home._

"_Are you okay there, hun?" a man asked as Lyla rushed past him._

"_I fell earlier and I hurt my leg but I feel better now!" Lyla exclaimed, stopping for a moment to respond. "My mom made spaghetti so I really want to get home now."_

"_Are you sure about that? I just walked past your house a little while ago and the lights were all off. I don't think anyone's home…"_

"_Oh, then she went to the store!"_

"_Well, okay then…" the man trailed off as Lyla sprinted away. "I hope everything is okay…"_

"_MOM!" Lyla exclaimed, entering the front door of the house and switching on all the lights._

"_Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off._

"_But she has to be here…she has to…where else would she be?" Lyla asked, falling to her knees. "Where could they have taken her? And why?"_

"_Mey…"_

"_I don't understand. Why do they need her? She's a good person! She doesn't have any enemies, she's nice to everyone, and she's just a flower shop owner who never even leaves town. How could they possibly know about her, let alone have some sort of problem with her? How could she possibly be what they want?" Lyla demanded, tightening her fists. "I just want them to give her back…I'll do as he says! I won't tell anyone. I'll just wait here for her, for as long as it takes! Do you think we'll get her back then, Skitty?"_

_Skitty didn't know what to say so she remained silent as Lyla continued to vent and shed tears once more. Surprisingly, Lyla became very tired at some point and the two of them managed to get some sleep. They awoke the next morning, curled up on the living room floor, to the sound of the doorbell. Lyla rubbed her eyes and the sick feeling in her stomach suddenly came back. She wondered about it for a brief moment before it hit her all at once and she remembered what had happened the day before. Before she could think about it much, however, the doorbell rang again. She raced to it, excitedly, praying that it was her mother and she had just forgotten her key or her arms were filled with groceries again. Unfortunately, when she opened the door, she found a man in a suit with long, red hair. She didn't recognize him at all so she slammed the door in a panic, thinking that he might be coming after her._

"_Lyla…" he trailed off._

_She said nothing and backed away from the door, on the verge of tears._

"_My name is Martin. I'm a detective and I need to speak with you about something…"_

_Lyla continued to back away and about tripped over Skitty in the process._

"_Something has happened to your mother…"_

_His words made her want to vomit and she wrapped her arms around her stomach as a wave of dizziness flooded over her. She hesitated for a moment and walked back to the door, opening it again._

"_Where is she?"_

"_Her body was found in a creek this morning…"_

"_But…she's going to be okay right?"_

"…_She's not coming back, Lyla."_

"_What do you mean, she's not coming back? Of course she is!"_

"_Lyla, did you see your mother at all yesterday?"_

"_Yes…"_

"_When?"_

"_Yesterday morning, at the flower store…"_

"_And did anyone suspicious come in to talk to her?"_

"…_No."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_I promise."_

"_Lyla, I can't help unless you tell me who your mother was with yesterday."_

"_I don't know! I saw her and then I went home!"_

"_I see…Are you going to be okay? Do you want to come with me to the station or anything?"_

"_No, I want you to leave!" Lyla shouted, slamming the door. "How am I possibly going to be okay now?"_

_Lyla locked herself up there for a week and didn't speak to anyone until one morning when she finally came out. The first thing she saw was a Lavaridge newspaper on the front porch and Caroline's death had made the front page. Lyla kept walking and several people tried to talk to her as she continued on, but she had no idea what they were saying and she didn't really care. She got to the grocery store and bought some milk with some money from a safe that her mother had filled in case anything ever happened. The cashier spoke to Lyla for several minutes but she ignored him and stared at the ground until he was finished. When she left the store, she noticed a flyer on the window, advertising a memorial that had been set up just outside of town. It was for Caroline and a service would be held there that weekend in her honor. Lyla ran to it._

"_I miss you!" she exclaimed, dropping to her knees in front of it. "You have no idea how much I've needed to talk to you this past week. I just can't believe you're really gone. I can't believe I'll never see you again. I don't want to believe that. If I could have one wish, I would ask to see you one more time. Just for a few minutes, and just to say good bye. That's all I want! And then everything would be okay again. I wouldn't be sad anymore. So…if you can hear me, please give me some sort of sign…"_

_Lyla waited and there was nothing, not even a gust of wind, just silence._

"_Maybe you can't do that. It's okay…I see people brought you flowers. See how much everyone loves you? See how many people want you back? I'm sorry I didn't bring flowers…I didn't know. I would have brought you roses because they're your favorite. They're my favorite too! They smell like you. They make me think about you."_

_Lyla thought about what more she could say as she fiddled with a bouquet of tulips. The people who placed the flowers there had gone to Mauville to get them because no one was running the flower shop at that point. Lyla realized this and vowed to take care of it on her own. She would be able to live off of the money in the safe back at home but she wanted to keep the flower shop alive because, in some way, she felt that it would keep her mom alive. She smiled, said good bye, and left the memorial with this idea stuck in her head._

"Skitty…" Lyla trailed off.

"Mya?"

"Do you ever think about what happened to us when…?"

Skitty nodded slowly and licked her trainer's hand. Lyla was trying to fight back the tears.

"It haunts me so much. I wish it would stop…"

"Mrrrr," Skitty purred, brushing up against Lyla.

"Thank you…"

Lyla looked back at the water and tiny air bubbles suddenly began to drift rapidly to the surface. Lyla stood up and backed away with Skitty as the bubbles grew larger and an enormous, serpent-like Pokémon rose from the pool.

"It's the Gyarados!" Lyla realized, setting Skitty down.

"Roaaaah!" it roared, bending slightly to reveal a large fang that was lodged into its side.

"Y-you're hurt…That's why you're being so violent, isn't it? I can help you."

The Gyarados responded with a mighty Hydro Pump attack that Lyla and Skitty quickly dodged. Lyla's first instinct was to run and get help from Aiden or Eziray but she decided against it. She decided that she was going to defeat it herself instead.

"Eevee! Let's go!" she exclaimed, sending out her hatchling.

"Vui!" Eevee exclaimed, looking up at the Gyarados with much arrogance.

"Hey, don't get cocky now…" Lyla trailed off.

"RRROOO!" the Gyarados roared before attempting to blast the Normal-type away with Hydro Pump.

Eevee grinned and jumped out of the way with ease. Then she multiplied into ten more Eevee with Double Team.

"Well, I was about to say that, but you should really wait for –"

"Pff…" Eevee sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! Attitude much!" Lyla growled.

"Eeevuiii!" Eevee exclaimed, turning her head and batting her eyes to let her trainer know that she was ready for another command.

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed, suddenly taking position amongst the crowd of Eevee. There was no way that she was about to sit along the sidelines and watch her teammate get pummeled by this monster.

The Gyarados suddenly began to wince and Lyla frowned, knowing that the fang must have been pretty painful for it.

"Gyarados…if you battle, it's just going to get lodged deeper. Just let me –"

"RRROOOA!" it boomed before throwing down its body and destroying three of the Eevee clones. It continued to thrash around for several minutes as the two Normal-types desperately tried to dodge; they managed to avoid the rampage but none of the clones did. When the Gyarados finally stopped, it ducked down and disappeared into the water.

"Be ready guys!" Lyla exclaimed.

The two Normal-types nodded and focused hard on the pool of water before them. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, and to everyone's surprise, the Gyarados busted up through the ground beneath Eevee and chomped its jaw down on her. Then it shook her around violently.

"Eevee, use Double Team!"

Eevee gritted her teeth but she managed to multiply within the Gyarados' mouth, forcing its jaw open. Then she and all her clones escaped so the Gyarados roared in frustration and then disappeared into the water again. Eevee glared at the water, panting heavily as all of her clones disappeared. Lyla knew that the hatchling was exhausted.

"Eevee, catch your breath. Skitty, get ready with Iron Tail!"

"Ee!" Eevee managed, shaking her head side-to-side in disagreement.

"But you're not used to battling yet! Don't push yourself so hard!"

"Mya!" Skitty exclaimed, genuinely concerned for her teammate's health.

Suddenly, the Gyarados came up again and Eevee lunged at it with full force, but her Tackle didn't do much; she just bounced right off. It did, however, enrage the Gyarados even more. The Water-type roared mightily and blasted Eevee into a wall with Hydro Pump. This attack finished the poor hatchling off so Lyla called her back and took out Mudkip's ball.

"Alright! Skitty, Mudkip, I'm counting on you two!"

The Gyarados watched furiously as Mudkip materialized. Mudkip immediately noticed the fang in Gyarados' side, cocked his head, and then cried out with joy as he blasted it with Water Gun. The fang was of course lodged even deeper and the Gyarados cried out in serious pain. Lyla quickly snatched up Mudkip by the neck and shook him violently.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED? THAT THING WANTS TO EAT US AND IT'S PISSED ENOUGH AS IT IS! HOW COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY THOUGHT _THAT _WAS A GOOD IDEA?"

"Muud!" Mudkip whined, but before he could explain that he was trying to knock it free, the Gyarados fired a Hydro Pump at them both.

"Eek! Counter it!" Lyla exclaimed, dropping her Water-type.

Mudkip immediately shot a Water Gun at the Hydro Pump but he was being overpowered pretty quickly.

"Skitty, Assist!"

Skitty nodded and used Assist, resulting in Bide.

"That's fine! That works! Mudkip, you use Bide too!"

Mudkip ceased Water Gun and began to glow, allowing the Hydro Pump to blast both him and Skitty. Then they both released their gathered energy in a bright flash that blinded Lyla and resulted in an explosion. When Lyla could see again, there was a gaping hole in the side of the ship and moonlight was shining in on the pool of water. Gyarados was nowhere to be found.

"You guys okay?" Lyla asked.

"Mud!" Mudkip exclaimed happily. Skitty nodded, panting a little.

"Grrroah!" the Gyarados snarled, rising from the water once more with a layer of soot masking its infuriated expression.

"You two are amazing! Let's keep it up, okay?"

"Eevui!" Eevee exclaimed angrily, popping out of her ball. She refused to be outdone by the others.

"Eevee, it's okay! They can handle it!"

"Vui!" she shouted defiantly as she multiplied into five Eevee that tackled the Gyarados, one-by-one.

The Gyarados growled and reared back, readying another Hydro Pump.

"Ice Beam!"

Before Gyarados could attack, Mudkip froze its neck against a bit of the wall that remained. Gyarados desperately struggled to break loose as Lyla spoke to it once more.

"Gyarados, I'm going to come pull that fang out, okay? Please stay still," she said calmly as she made her way over.

"Grraahh!" it roared, opening its mouth as bright energy began to form within it.

"H-hyper Beam?" Lyla squeaked.

Meanwhile, Aiden and Eziray were rushing through the ship, trying to get down to where all the commotion was coming from.

"Oh God, I hope she's okay!" Aiden shouted.

"Do you think she's maybe just battling another trainer?"

"I don't know. What the hell is she doing all the way down here though?"

"Maybe the Shuppet scared her too?"

"No, the Shuppet didn't follow her, remember? I think her curiosity has gotten her into some sort of trouble."

"Actually, she better be in trouble. I hate it when my battles get interrupted! We were about to totally dominate that Shuppet too!"

"Come on! Through that door! I think I heard her voice!"

The two busted through a door to their right and arrived just in time to see Skitty somersaulting into the air and coming down rapidly on the trapped Gyarados' head with Iron Tail, preventing it from blasting them all away with Hyper Beam. The two were so shocked that they remained completely silent as the ice shattered and the Gyarados fell down to the water with a splash and floated motionlessly to the surface.

"Hold still, okay?" Lyla said sweetly, walking towards the Gyarados.

She waded into the freezing cold water and made her way over to where the fang was lodged. Then she pulled it out carefully and the Gyarados winced, moaning slightly.

"See? I'm making it better," she said calmly as she sprayed the wound with some medicine from her bag and rubbed it in. The Gyarados closed its eyes tightly and fought through the stinging pain from the medicine. It understood now that she was just trying to help it. She began to shiver uncontrollably and swam back to the floor of the ship, noticing Aiden and Eziray as she turned around.

"Damnit, Lyla!" Aiden exclaimed, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her when she climbed out. "It's good that you want to help that Pokémon and all, but that water's cold enough to kill you! You're probably going to get sick now; who knows when a rescue boat will come for us?"

As Aiden scolded Lyla, Eziray inspected the fang she was holding. It looked like a dragon's tooth and Eziray wondered where it came from and how it had gotten lodged into the Gyarados' side.

"Rrrrr," the Gyarados grunted. The trainers looked up at it and it had lifted itself up and it was looking down fiercely at Lyla. Then it suddenly lowered its head and she tensed, but then she realized that he only wanted to nuzzle her.

"Um, you're welcome," she said, trying not to be knocked over.

"Good job, Lyla! It's hard to make friends with a Gyarados!" Eziray exclaimed as the Water Pokémon let out a mighty roar and disappeared into the water. Lyla smiled victoriously, proud of her accomplishment, and then her teeth began to violently chatter away. Aiden responded by wrapping his arms around her from behind and leaning his head on her shoulder to keep her warm. As their faces lightly brushed together for a split second, he could have sworn that hers seemed a little red, as if she had been crying. Or perhaps it was just the cold. Unsure of what to say about it, he simply remained silent held her tighter.

**Author Notes**

This chapter was titled so for two reasons. One, obviously, because they're stranded on an abandoned ship in the middle of an ocean. And two, because Lyla was sort of abandoned as a child. Aiden knows that Lyla is repressing something and wishes he could help her but he knows that it must be too painful to talk about; all he can do is make her feel as happy and welcomed as possible. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Review if you liked it (or didn't like) it and continue reading!


	18. Ch 18 Heated Beach Battles

**Chapter 18: Heated Beach Battles**

"That's it guys! That's got to be Slateport City!" Eziray exclaimed, leaning over the edge of the boat.

The trainers and passengers had all been rescued by the first Slateport-bound ferry of the morning and they were finally nearing Slateport.

"Come on out and see, everyone!" Eziray called as she tossed her four Pokéballs into the air.

"Good idea," Lyla said, sending out Eevee and Mudkip.

"Espeon, Combusken, come on out and stretch your feet a little," Aiden said, sending out his Pokémon too.

The majority of the Pokémon cheered happily while the more reserved ones smiled slightly and scanned the landscape before them. As the ferry got closer, Slateport became more and more clear to them.

"Looks like more fun in the sun," Lyla said, observing the enormous beach that wrapped around several cliffs and ran along the edge of the city. They began to make out some of the buildings within the city beyond the beach, like the Pokémon Center and a Pokémart. As Lyla scanned the city, it seemed to continue on endlessly and she eventually noticed a red, dome-shaped building up on a hill, way off in the distance.

"There it is!" a passenger exclaimed, catching Lyla's attention. "See that big building up on the hill over there?"

"I think so…" another passenger replied.

"That's the new Slateport Contest Hall!"

"No way! Do you think they're completely finished relocating it now?"

"Yup! They announced on TV that the first ever contest to be held in it is coming up in a couple of days!"

"Did you hear that, guys? I'm going to be one of the first coordinators to ever appeal in that stadium!" Lyla exclaimed. "Hopefully, I'll be the first to win…"

* * *

><p>"Come on, Jigglypuff!" Olivia shouted, running through the streets of Slateport in a bikini.<p>

"Jiggly! Jiggly!" her Normal-type huffed, trying to keep up.

The two were making a beeline for the beach, and more specifically, the approaching ferry.

"Aiden's just _got_ to be on this one! Hurry!"

The two arrived just as the ferry was docking and Olivia dropped, resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. Then she jerked herself back up and desperately scanned the line of passengers waiting to get off the ferry. As soon as she spotted Aiden, she took in a deep breath.

"AIDEEEEEN!" she belted, startling him so much that he about fell over the side.

Lyla and Eziray looked down, both cocking their heads in confusion.

"Oh great," Lyla muttered.

"Who's that, Ezzie?" Gracie asked.

"What took you so long?" Olivia demanded as soon as the trainers' feet hit the sand. "I've been waiting here for _days_! Ferry after ferry came and you weren't aboard any of them. I began to lose hope. I began to assume the worst. OH AIDEN! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU! …And you too Eziray!"

"We've been training, battling gyms, going to contests…y'know…what trainers do," Aiden trailed off as Olivia began to invade his personal space with smothering hugs and kisses on the cheek.

"Oh yeah. I heard…" Olivia said with obviously fake disappointment as she looked up at Lyla.

"What are you talking about?" Lyla asked.

"About the little mishap in Rustboro. I saw it on TV. It's okay, not everyone can do well in contests, Lyla. Just most people!"

"I'd like to see how _you'd _fair," Lyla growled.

"Please," Olivia began, rolling her eyes. "Oh Aiden! Do you like my new swimsuit? Isn't it just absolutely fab?"

She twirled, showing off a metallic white bikini with pink frills along the edges.

"Fab," Aiden said uncomfortably.

"I just knew you'd like it!"

"Kip!" Mudkip greeted, stepping forward beside Aiden's left pant leg.

"And who are you?" she exclaimed excitedly, bending down to get a better look at the Water-type. "Oh, you're just absolutely adorable!"

"Muuud," Mudkip groaned.

"I would get away if I were you!" Gracie giggled.

"Why would I get away? This Mudkip is so adorable! Much like all the Pokémon Aiden raises!"

"That's Lyla's Mudkip actually…" Aiden corrected.

"Lyla's?"

"Yeah! And he says you're wearing too much perfume!" Gracie exclaimed.

"Well nobody asked y–"

Before Olivia could finish her statement, Mudkip blasted her several feet away with Water Gun in attempt to wash it off.

"What a rude little Pokémon you are!" Olivia whined, sitting up and spitting out a mouthful of sand. "It's quite obvious that you _are_ Lyla's Mudkip. Oh, my swimsuit…it's ruined!"

Lyla smirked mischievously and gave Mudkip a subtle nod. He grinned and blasted away all the sand that was coating Olivia's bikini with Water Gun. She immediately let out a shriek of frustration.

"Everything okay there, Olivia?" Eziray asked as the fangirl frantically rearranged her hair.

"That little bastard screwed up my hair," she growled.

"Boy, what a monster," Lyla muttered sarcastically.

"Why do you two hang around this loser? She's horrible!" Olivia whined.

"Kiiiiiip," Mudkip said as he used Water Gun to fill Olivia's mouth with water and shut her up.

"Alright, I've had just about enough of _you_! Lyla, I accept your challenge!"

"What challenge?" Lyla asked, staring blankly.

"When you wanted to see how I'd 'fair,'" Olivia said.

"I wasn't necessarily challenging you but I'd love to put you in your place. Mudkip," Lyla began.

"Mud!" Mudkip exclaimed excitedly, ready for battle.

"Okay, Olivia, your move I guess…" Lyla trailed off.

"Fine by me!" Olivia exclaimed. "Jigglypuff, use Pound!"

Jigglypuff waddled forward, palms glowing brightly. Mudkip grinned playfully and gave a quick squirt just to knock her off balance.

"Jiggly!" the Normal-typed pouted as she sat up, face coated with sand.

"Try putting him to sleep with Sing!"

Jigglypuff inhaled deeply, but before she could hum a single note, Mudkip began filling her mouth with water.

"Oh no!" Olivia shouted in a panic as her Pokémon expanded like a water balloon.

"Nicely done, Mudkip. Now finish her off with Tackle!"

Mudkip charged forward and rammed the Balloon Pokémon as hard as he could.

"Jigglypuff!" Olivia whined as Jigglypuff whizzed over her head toward the city, water rapidly spewing out of its mouth.

"Mud-kip!" the Water-type exclaimed.

"Shut it, you little monster!" Olivia snapped. "Oh when I get my Jigglypuff back, you're going to be in for it, Lyla! We're going to train here on this beach until we collapse, AND THEN SOME! You and your stupid little blue fish thing are really going to regret the day you–"

Before she could finish her threat, Mudkip froze her solid with Ice Beam.

"Now that's not very nice," Lyla scolded, giving it her all not to smile.

"She has a point though," Eziray began. "Slateport beach is known to be a pretty hot training spot according to some touristy pamphlet thingies I was reading on the ferry. There are trainers all over this beach just itching to battle one another. There's even this beach snack shack-type café thing and the owner gives out free drinks and meals to trainers who show him some great battles! Since your contest is coming up and I just love training anyway, I think we should spend the day here, don't you?"

"Definitely!" Lyla exclaimed.

"So where's that shack?" Eziray wondered, scanning the beach.

"We're not just gonna leave Olivia like this are we?" Aiden asked, scratching his head.

"It's pretty hot out," Lyla replied. "I mean the ice is already melting…"

"Do you really wanna be around when she thaws out, Aiden?" Eziray asked as two small children raced by.

Noticing the trainers' Pokémon, the two children stopped and stared for a moment. Then one began to whisper into the other's ear.

"Well not really, but it _is_ kinda mean, y'know…"

"It's not that bad! Being Mudkip's trainer, I've had my fair share of this sort of thing. It builds character," Lyla explained.

"Excuse me," one of the children said.

"When has Mudkip ever turned you into an ice sculpture?" Eziray asked curiously.

"Excuse me…" the child repeated.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Lyla replied.

"See, it's not a very fun experience is it?" Aiden asked.

"EXCUSE ME!" the other child screamed at the top of her lungs.

The trainers hushed up and directed their attention to the two youngsters. The boy cleared his throat and began.

"Are you guys Pokémon trainers?" he asked, letting his yellow inner tube fall to the ground, revealing a pair of blue swim trunks with a single Pokéball at its waist.

"We sure are!" Eziray exclaimed, getting pumped for a battle.

"Took not even ten steps onto the beach and we're already engaged in a second battle. You were right, Ez. This looks like a great training spot," Aiden said.

"But I thought you had to be at least ten years old to have Pokémon," Lyla pointed out skeptically. The little girl grinned, pulling her inner tube up over head and spinning it on her arm to show off. Then she tossed it aside and snatched the Pokéball from the bottoms of her red bikini.

"Mommy doesn't have time to watch us play all day on the beach so she gave us her Pokémon to keep us safe!" she exclaimed.

"But we wanna battle like the big kids!" the boy added.

"That's fine with me!" Eziray exclaimed. "Lyla, how about a double battle with me?"

"I'd be happy to! I need all the practice I can get!"

"Speedy, come forward!"

"Skitty, you too!"

Eziray's Treecko and Lyla's Skitty dashed forward and positioned themselves in front of their trainers.

"Plusle, I choose you!" the girl exclaimed, sending out a red, bunny-like Pokémon.

"Minun, let's go!" the boy exclaimed, sending out a similar Pokémon that was blue instead.

"They're so cute!" Lyla and Eziray exclaimed in unison.

"And strong too!" the boy insisted.

"Yep! Plusle, let's begin with Spark!" the girl ordered.

"Minun, you too!"

The two Electric-types released a small wave of cracking electricity from their cheeks. The Plusle aimed for Speedy and the Minun aimed for Skitty.

"Speedy, avoid it with Quick Attack!"

"Let's try an Assist, Skitty!"

Speedy dodged the attack with ease and began to charge forward with great speed as Skitty's entire body began to glow and she absorbed the Spark aimed at her.

"Awesome! Mudkip's Bide!" Eziray observed. "Lucky us! Alright, full speed ahead!"

Speedy continued forward, ramming the Plusle with Quick Attack.

"Eevui," Eevee whispered, mesmerized by his speed.

"Two can play at that!" the girl shouted.

"Quick Attack!" the children ordered in unison.

"They must not know about Bide then," Lyla thought to herself with a smile as the two Electric-types darted forward, weaving around each other through the sand towards their opponents.

"Skitty, use Iron Tail!"

"And Speedy, Detect!"

As the Plusle attempted to ram into Skitty, she turned around and blocked the Cheering Pokémon with her hardened tail. As the Electric-type smashed into it, Skitty released the energy collected with Bide and sent her opponent flying. And as the Minun attempted to ram into Speedy, he threw up his arms and became surrounded by a border of blue energy that sent Minun flying back away from him.

"Nice combo, Lyla!" Eziray praised.

"Pu-lah!" the Plusle whined, rubbing its now bruised forehead.

"Mi-nuh," the Minun coughed as it spat out sand.

"Do it again!" the boy shouted.

The two Electric-types looked up at the kids as if they were already fed up with the battle, but they did as they were told and charged forward with Quick Attack again.

"Then I guess we'll do the same thing too," Eziray said as she and Lyla nodded to their Pokémon.

Speedy and Skitty nodded back and readied their attacks again, but this time, the kids ordered their mother's Pokémon to use Flash at the very last moment. Speedy and Skitty were blinded and forced to close their eyes to shield them from the bright light. Then one used Thunder Wave on Speedy and the other hit Skitty with a Spark attack.

"Darn! Not paralyzed," the girl complained as she observed the Normal-type shake it off.

"Shoulda used Thunder Wave. Check out the Treecko!" the boy exclaimed.

"Speedy!" Eziray cried, realizing that he had become paralyzed.

"Let's double up on it with Spark!" the boy suggested.

Both Electric-types sighed and released two electrical waves once more, both aimed at Speedy who attempted to move out of the way but couldn't.

"ALRIGHT!" the children cheered.

"Skitty, use Assist!"

Skitty nodded and performed an Assist attack that resulted in Eevee's Dig.

"Zap her!" the boy shouted as Skitty burrowed into the sand, but it was no use.

The two Electric-types searched frantically, knowing that the Ground attack would hurt them a lot. Skitty finally popped up from beneath the Plusle, knocking it out. Then Lyla ordered her to use DoubleSlap, so she knocked the Minun around a bit and in Speedy's direction.

"Speedy, can you move your arms?"

"Tree!"

"Then let's finish him off with Absorb!"

"Speedy raised its arms and released a red beam from each of his pals, sucking the energy from the Minun and knocking it out cold.

"Yeah!" Eziray cheered as she high fived Lyla.

"Pretty good team work!" Lyla exclaimed as the kids called back the unconscious Pokémon.

"I'm telling my mommy on you!" the boy sniffed.

"Me too! And she's gonna yell at you and you'll be really sorry!" the girl added. And with that, the two raced off.

"Poor kids," Aiden said.

"They're only the first of many trainers that we'll send home crying today, Aiden!" Eziray reported, scanning the beach for more opponents. "Who's next…?"

"Hey…do you guys smell that?" Lyla asked. Eziray sniffed and Aiden looked up.

"It smells like something burning…" Eziray trailed off.

"Uh…" Aiden trailed off, too mesmerized to speak. The others looked up too.

"What the hell?" Lyla shouted, backing up to avoid being hit by an incoming fireball.

"What is it?" Aiden asked as it hit the sand in front of them.

"Mud!" Mudkip exclaimed happily as he extinguished the flames with Water Gun.

"It's a Pokémon," Lyla said, observing the unconscious Zigzagoon before them.

"ZIGZAGOON!" a boy screamed, rushing towards the fallen Pokémon.

"What happened?" Lyla asked as the boy took the Zigzagoon into his arms.

"The trainers who hang around that shack are terrifyingly strong," the boy said. "I thought we could take em but boy, was I wrong! Oh Zigzagoon…I'm so sorry!"

Lyla turned to Eziray and caught an adventurous twinkle in her eye.

"Hey, Ez? I'm totally down for some hardcore training today. I mean I need it more than anything right now, but maybe I should learn how to crawl before you sign me up for a ten mile run. Eziray? Are you listening to me? I really don't think this'll be good for me," Lyla tried to reason as Eziray took her by the hand and lead her towards a small building in the distance.

"Come on, Lyla! It'll be fun!" Eziray insisted, sprinting now.

"You guys…Olivia!" Aiden reminded, chasing after them. "Damnit, never mind. I guess she'll just stay frozen then."

"There's no getting through to her then?" Lyla asked as Aiden caught up.

"Nope," Aiden confirmed. "Don't take it the wrong way though. She's just trying to get you out of your shell a little."

"More like forcefully rip me out of my shell and smash it to pieces…"

As they neared the shack, two figures emerged from it, crossing their arms as they blocked the door.

"Hey you three!" one of them barked.

"Huh? Us?" Eziray asked blankly.

"No, Ez. He's talking about the other three people making their way towards the shack," Lyla muttered.

"But we're the only ones around!" Eziray replied in confusion.

"Exactly," Lyla concluded with a sigh.

"Are you guys deaf or what?" the other man demanded as the trainers arrived before them.

"Is there a problem?" Lyla asked innocently.

"Yeah. Judging by the trail of Pokémon parading behind you, I take it you're trainers. But only top notch trainers' can eat here. You'll have to get through us if you want in," the one on the right explained.

"So you call yourselves 'top notch' then, huh? You look like just a couple of pig-headed sailors if you ask me," Lyla insulted.

"Well no one _asked _you!" the sailor on the left growled as the other held him back and chuckled in amusement.

"I like this one's attitude, but let's see if she has any spunk in her battling abilities. Machop, you're up!"

"Wingull, you too!" the other sailor called.

"Another double battle, huh?" Eziray observed with a grin as the two Pokémon materialized.

"Yeah, but this time, _I'm_ gonna work with Lyla," Aiden said, stepping forward. "Espeon, let's go!"

"Certainly," the Psychic-type affirmed telepathically.

"Eevee? You haven't gotten a chance to battle yet today, but–"

Before Lyla could finish, the Normal-type bounded forward, ready for battle. Her trainer frowned, wondering if it was a good idea to battle so soon after the encounter with the Gyarados the night before.

"Careful, little one," Espeon warned as Eevee bounced into place.

"Are you two ready?" the sailor with the Machop asked.

"Mhm!" Aiden and Lyla replied with a nod.

"Alright then, Machop, cut the little one down with Karate Chop!"

"And you blast the other one away with Water Gun, Wingull!"

The Fighting-type charged forward, one hand glowing, as the Wingull opened its mouth and fired away at Espeon with Water Gun.

"Let's go, Eevee – use Double Team!"

"Send that Water Gun back with Psychic, Espeon!"

As Eevee multiplied to throw the Machop off, Espeon began to glow bright blue. Machop halted, wondering which one to hit, and at that moment, Espeon's eyes flashed bright blue. The stream of water that had been coming towards her curved upward and began to shoot back towards the Wingull. Before the Seagull Pokémon could react, it was blasted into the ground with its own attack.

"Come on Wingull, you've taken tougher hits than that!"

"And what are you standing around for, Machop? When in doubt, just hit em all!"

The Wingull lifted itself back up into the air and the Machop continued forward, karate chopping all of the Eevee duplicates in its path until only the original was left. She performed a serious of hops and flips as she backed away in an attempt to avoid the attack, but the Machop was smarter than her and surprised her with a swift Low Kick that knocked her back a ways.

"That a boy, Machop!"

"You alright, Eevee?"

"Veh," the Normal-type growled, shaking her head as she stood back up.

"Mah-chop!" the Superpower Pokémon cried, charging at her with Karate Chop once more.

"Espeon, help her out with Psychic!"

The Machop suddenly found itself floating in midair so it flailed for a moment until Espeon sent it flying back into the Wingull with her telekinetic abilities. Then she hit them both with a Swift attack before they managed to get up. This allowed Eevee to recuperate for a moment.

"Thanks Aiden," Lyla said with a smile as Eevee got pumped up again.

"It was my pleasure!" he replied.

"That Psychic Pokémon's getting on my nerves," the sailor with the Machop muttered.

"I've got something that'll fix her. She can't move what she can't see right? Wingull, use Mist!"

"Grooo!" the Wingull cawed as it opened its mouth to form a bright blue orb that dispersed into a thick mist.

"I think we can use this cover to our advantage as well," Lyla whispered.

"My thoughts exactly!" Aiden replied with a grin.

"Eevee, into the ground!"

Eevee obeyed, quickly burrowing into the sand with Dig before her opponents could pinpoint her and attack.

"She can't hit you up in the sky Wingull, so don't worry about her none!"

"Machop, let's take this opportunity to team up on that Espeon and get her out of the way so we can finish this! Stick with Karate Chop!"

"And you use Peck!"

"Concentrate, Espeon. Then use Teleport when they get close enough."

"I know that," the Sun Pokémon replied, twitching her tail a couple times as she waited for her opponents to come at her. "Even in this mist, I will see the glow from those attacks with ease."

Sure enough, Espeon was quickly able to spot Wingull's glowing beak and Machop's glowing hand. She held tight until just the right moment and then disappeared just in time to avoid being hit. Her two opponents, however, were not able to react quickly enough and wound up hitting each other instead.

"There," Espeon communicated to Eevee and Lyla. "There they are. Quickly! Before the Wingull takes flight again."

"Eevee, use Double Team!"

All at once, a cluster of Eevee emerged from the sand, hitting the two opponents one-by-one and disappearing upon impact.

"Where's the real one?" one of the sailors asked as their two Pokémon tried to recuperate.

"Machop, use Focus Energy!" the other sailor called, hoping that Machop would concentrate enough to sense Eevee coming if and when she did.

"He's charging up for something, so knock him out with Tackle quick!"

Eevee darted through the mist towards the Fighting-type and he opened his eyes as she approached, then he gave her a quick whack with Karate Chop.

"Wing Attack!"

As Eevee was launched up into the air a bit, the Wingull dove down and hit her with one of its wings.

"Vui!" the Normal-type managed as she crashed back into the sand.

"Shouldn't have given yourself away again," Aiden said. "Espeon, use Swift where you saw the glowing from Wing Attack!"

"Certainly," the Psychic-type replied as she flung her tail, releasing an array star-shaped disks that pummeled the Flying-type until it fell to the ground. Then she finished it off with Quick Attack.

"Damnit," the sailor said, calling back the fallen Wingull. "Alright, it's up to you now. Don't go embarrassing us…"

"I got this," the other sailor growled, grinding his teeth together.

"Hey, Espeon, that gives me an idea. Use Quick Attack to clear up this mist," Aiden directed.

"Aiden?" Lyla asked as Espeon whipped around, creating a gust that cleared up the mist. "Why don't you battle gym leaders like Eziray? I mean you and Espeon are really strong…and clever!"

"You really think so?" Aiden asked with a grin as the mist completely receded and Espeon halted, glaring fiercely at her enemies.

"Totally!"

"Enough chit-chatting," the sailor said. "Machop, why don't you do away with the pipsqueak the same way we did away with that trainer's Zigzagoon from before? Use Fire Punch!"

"Dodge it, Eevee!" Lyla called as Machop raced forward, fist blazing.

"Not fast enough!" the sailor exclaimed as Machop sent Eevee flying across the beach.

She landed a ways away, out of sight. Her forehead was pretty scorched and she trembled as she stood, but she refused to be outshone by her evolve-form so she forced herself to sprint forward.

"Vui! Vui!" she grunted, charging forward with all her might. "VUI! VUI!"

She thought back to the battle earlier, when Lyla and Eziray were a team and how fast Speedy was. Then she thought about Espeon's speed and as she concentrated, her own speed began to pick up. The sand made it difficult but she pressed on, gaining as much momentum as she possibly could. Everything began to blur around her as she whizzed by and she didn't have much time to react when the Machop came into view because she was almost immediately upon him. She collided into him with every ounce of energy she had left, however, and that sent him crashing into several racks of surf boards. She stared after him, panting heavily, and he didn't rise. Then she collapsed victoriously.

"Eevee! Are you alright?" Lyla called, running to her hatchling's side.

"Vui," she assured.

"Did you see that, guys? She came out of nowhere! We didn't even see her; she was like a bullet – tiny and powerful! You sure picked up on Quick Attack in no time! I'm so proud of you!" Lyla praised.

"Eee-vui!" Eevee cheered, suddenly full of energy again, as she sat up and puffed out the fur on her chest. Then she began to whip up a daydream that she was the fastest Pokémon in the world and people and Pokémon were lining up for her autograph which was just simply her paw print in lavender ink. Then she began to imagine paparazzi and television reporters flocking around her, demanding photos and interviews.

"Yup! Pretty spectacular, but she's got lots of training ahead of her if she ever wants to be as fast as Speedy, or even Espeon!" Eziray exclaimed, completely shattering Eevee's dream.

"Hey, don't discourage her!" Lyla said as Eevee began to pout.

"I'm not discouraging her, I'm _encouraging_ her! To train."

As the two went back and forth a few times, Espeon took a seat beside the wannabe Superstar Pokémon.

"You learn fast, little one…But you should not focus on being the absolute best right now. Concentrate merely on improving. It will take much time for you to be the best at anything," the Psychic-type advised.

"Ee-vui," the younger Pokémon replied arrogantly, turning her head away.

"Do you want to impress Lyla and all of your soon-to-be 'fans' at the upcoming contest?"

"Vuii…"

"Stay out here with me then. I will show you how to enhance your speed."

And with that, Espeon kneeled down, pretending to be tired as she flicked her tail a few times to grab her trainer's attention. Eevee mimicked her.

"Everything okay, Espeon?" Aiden asked. The girls were still bickering and didn't notice.

"Just fine! But it is marvelous weather and we would like to bask in it for a little while if you permit it..."

"Hey trainers!" one of the sailors called. Everyone directed their attention back to the issue at hand.

"We've mulled it over a bit and have decided that you're tough enough to enter," the other one announced as he approached them and handed Lyla and Aiden two shiny metal pieces.

"What is this? Like a makeshift gym badge or something?" Lyla wondered out loud.

"Present it whenever you want to enter, and you won't have to prove yourself again."

"Yeah, okay," Lyla said, debating whether or not to pitch it.

"HEY! Where's mine?" Eziray demanded.

"_Yours_? What do you mean _yours_? _You_ haven't proven anything to us yet so _you_ don't get one yet!"

"Proof? You want proof? Well how's this for proof?" Eziray asked, popping open a case and revealing eight Kanto Gym Badges. "Do these make me 'top notch' enough in your eyes?"

The two sailors whispered amongst each other for a moment and then decided to admit Eziray without testing her.

"Isn't it just adorable? It's got the café's logo on it and a little disclaimer about how it's not a real gym badge and everything!" Eziray said, admiring the little hunk of junk in her hands as they walked through the front door.

Inside the shack, there were at least three battles going, things were getting knocked over and broken, and people constantly had to duck to avoid flying food or Pokémon attacks. This was evidently the norm because all the tables and chairs were scratched up, the walls were scorched in some places and covered in holes, there were skid marks up and down the tile flooring, and no one seemed to care. In fact, everyone seemed to be cheering and having a great time. About 60% of the people inside appeared to be sailors and the rest were dressed in swim wear or wetsuits so the three trainers stood out…a lot.

"This 'café' is kind of a mess," Lyla whispered, taking it all in.

"Look out!" Aiden shouted, grabbing Eziray by the arm and pulling her out of the way of a powerful Hydro Pump attack.

The entire room became still as all of the trainers looked the three and their Pokémon over. Without saying anything, the three awkwardly made their way to a vacant table and took a seat. Lyla cracked open a menu and noticed that the bartender was grinning at them as he polished the bar counter with a towel.

"Why is everyone staring at us like fresh meat?" she whispered.

"Because I think that's what we are…." Aiden replied.

"Fresh meat?" Eziray echoed quietly. "I think not."

"What was that?" Lyla asked.

"SO WHO WANTS THEIR ASS KICKED FIRST?" Eziray challenged.

"EZIRAY!" Lyla shouted, in complete shock as the bartender began to chuckle. Pretty soon, the entire café had joined into the laughter.

"We can defeat every single person in this café and that's no joke!" Eziray added to her challenge.

"Now that'd be the day!" the bartender exclaimed. "Three kids knocking out _every_ single person here? Kid, if I witness that here today, I'd feed you and your friends for a week!"

"Is that a promise?" Eziray asked, eyes lighting up.

"What are you getting us into?" Lyla demanded in a not so quiet whisper.

"This'll be great practice for your contest, I promise!"

* * *

><p>"That Lyla thinks she's so cool, but she's just a sorry loser and I can't wait to put her in her place!" Olivia ranted to herself as she searched the streets of Slateport for her Jigglypuff. "She launched Jigglypuff into <em>who<em> knows where. Froze me solid for hours…that little bitch…"

"Azu! Azu!" an Azurilll chanted as it raced past her.

"Hey you! Have you seen a Jigglypuff anywhere?"

"Azu?"

The Azurilll stopped, turning around to stare blankly at Olivia. Then it smiled and began racing back in the direction it came from. Hoping that it meant 'yes,' Olivia rushed after it. After a while, the Polka Dot Pokémon's ears suddenly perked and it took cover behind some bushes. Olivia did the same.

"So this is the oceanic museum huh?" a Team Aqua grunt observed.

"Yes. But our investigation starts Thursday," Commander Shelly replied. Unlike the grunt, she was wearing a trench coat over her uniform to hide it.

"But that's the day after tomorrow!"

"That it is."

"It would be so easy though! To take what we need now…I mean, I bet their security is pretty–"

"Do you think I _care_? I have enough training to get through _any_ level of security _by myself_. But that doesn't matter. Our _orders _are to wait for the grunts to arrive. Now put on your coat; you stick out like a sore thumb."

As the commander dropped a pair of sunglasses over her eyes, the Azurill was suddenly stricken by intense fear and it bolted out from the bushes, straight into a Team Aqua Crawdaunt.

"CRAAAW!" it hissed, snatching up the tiny Normal-type with one claw.

"What's this now?" Commander Shelly asked, lifting her sunglasses with one hand.

"Wait! Don't hurt her!" Olivia shouted, running out from the bushes.

"Crawdaunt, release it!"

The Crawdaunt obeyed the Commander, dropping the Azurill right into Olivia's arms.

"What are you playing around _here_ for, kid? Beach is that way," the grunt said, pointing towards the ocean.

"I-I'm sorry."

"You can stop shaking now, darling. We _know_ you didn't hear anything that you weren't supposed to," Commander Shelly threatened with a wink and a smile.

Without saying anything, Olivia tightened her grip around the Azurill and took off as fast as she could. The grunt took a step forward but the Commander held him back with one arm as she released her sunglasses and they fell back into place.

"You're letting her go?" he asked.

"Of course…" she trailed off into a whisper. "We're not bad people."

"AIDEN!" Olivia called, sobbing as she sprinted all the way back to the beach.

"Hey kid, you can't get in unless you go through us first!" one of the sailors outside of the shack threated as she neared.

"_SCREW_ YOU!" she cried, forcing herself right through the middle of them and into the shack.

"Little bitch," the other sailor muttered, rubbing his arm. "I think she scratched me."

As she entered the café, she was greeted by Aiden's Combusken who plowed right over her and stood on her as she squirmed and cried Aiden's name.

"Combusken! Get off her!" Aiden shouted.

The Young Fowl Pokémon hopped down, leaving two red marks on her stomach from his feet.

"Azurill," the Polka Dot Pokémon said, looking over Olivia to make sure she was alright.

"Lyla," Olivia said, sitting up. "I am getting pretty fed up with you and your hellion Pokémon and–"

"Combusken is my Pokémon, actually," Aiden interrupted.

"AND A STRONG ONE IT IS!" Olivia exclaimed with a completely different attitude. "Look at those biceps, and that beak, and those talons, and–"

"Azu! Azu!" the Azurill cried, glaring angrily at Olivia as if she had forgotten something very serious.

"Oh my gosh! You're right! There were these two pirates, Aiden! They were talking about going the museum and wearing coats and they had this evil, nasty lobster Pokémon thing and it tried to kill us and we ran away and I still don't know where Jigglypuff is and…IT'S ALL _YOUR_ FAULT!" Olivia screamed, pointing at Lyla.

"Pirates, huh?" Lyla asked, completely ignoring the accusation.

"Team Aqua must be in town then," Eziray thought to herself.

"Are they chasing you?" Aiden asked.

"No."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Do they have Jigglypuff?"

"No."

"See? You're fine," Lyla interjected.

"Yeah, but I _am_ really scared. Can I stay here with you guys?" Olivia asked Aiden, batting her eyes.

"Sure, just sit over there I guess. We're just training here a bit but we can help you find Jigglypuff after, okay?"

"Okay…"

Olivia took a seat with Azurill in her lap as the trainers resumed their battles. Within five minutes, she was bored out of her mind and staring off into space. A trainer had been watching her from afar and finally decided to approach her.

"So you had an encounter with Team Aqua today, huh?" he asked, taking a seat across from her.

"Do I know you?" she replied coldly, gripping the Azurill a little tighter.

"Hey, relax a little. I'm just curious because I've been trying to find them."

"Find them? That's dumb. Why would you try to _find_ trouble?"

"Well, just between you and me, I'm looking to be recruited."

This statement took Olivia by such surprise that she finally turned her head and made eye contact with him for the first time. He was tall and thin, dressed in an expensive black suit, and he had an unexpanded Pokéball hanging from a chain around his neck. His hair was golden with a hint of red, and it fell halfway down his neck. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark aviator shades and his nails were painted black.

"Who exactly are _they_?" Olivia whispered.

"They're only trying to make the world a better place," he replied with a smile.

"ALRIGHT, _YOU'RE_ NEXT, MR. TALL, TAN, AND HANDSOME!" Eziray challenged, pointing to the man who was talking to Olivia.

"Name's Johnny," he said in a low voice as he stood to accept Eziray's challenge.

"Olivia…" Olivia trailed off.

"You've got a pretty loud mouth, y'know…" Johnny said, making his way to Eziray.

"Baby, return," Eziray said, calling back her Dratini who she had used in the previous battle. "Speedy, let's go!"

"A Treecko, huh?" Johnny asked as Speedy materialized. "That sucks for you. Glalie, come out!"

"What the hell is that?" Lyla thought to herself, trying not to get too distracted from her current battle. "It looks like a floating head or something. It's so creepy…"

"It's so cool! Oh, I love these Hoenn Pokémon!" Eziray thought to herself, lifting her Pokédex up to it.

"Glalie, the Face Pokémon: Glalie's body is made of rock but it forms a dazzling cloud of ice crystal armor around its body by freezing the moisture in the atmosphere. This ability also allows it to freeze its foes solid."

"Alright, Speedy. We gotta be careful with this one. Its Ice-type moves could finish you!"

"Tree!" the Treecko exclaimed with a nod.

"I think he wants us to go first. Use Quick Attack!"

Speedy sped forward, with incredible speed as usual. Johnny smiled and gave a quick nod to the Face Pokémon floating above him. As Speedy leapt up to ram into the Glalie, it suddenly became surrounded by a greenish blue shield and Speedy bounced right off it.

"That must be Protect," Eziray noted.

"You know your stuff! Let's see if you can identify this one," Johnny said, giving another nod.

The Glalie's mouth opened, revealing a bright blue orb of ice.

"Speedy, don't let that Ice Beam touch you!"

A powerful beam of energy suddenly shot from the orb but Speedy's quickness allowed him to dodge it with ease. The Ice-type Pokémon rotated its body, following Speedy as he raced around in an attempt to hit it.

"You must be a little tired from the other battles then, huh?" Eziray said, trying to encourage Speedy to run faster. "Let's replenish some of that strength with Absorb!"

Once Glalie gave up with Ice Beam, Speedy spun around and threw his arms up. Two red beams then extended from his palms and wrapped around his opponent, sucking out its energy.

"Your Treecko is one of the fastest I've seen," Johnny began. "But let's see how it would fair without that advantage. Glalie, freeze the battlefield solid!"

Glalie struggled a bit, still bound by Absorb, but managed to aim its mouth towards the ground and shoot it with Ice Beam. The ground quickly iced over and Speedy hopped to avoid getting his feet frozen to it, but he slipped as soon as he landed and Absorb ceased.

"On your feet Speedy!"

Speedy tried to stand but stumbled and slipped once more.

"He's helpless; finish him!" Johnny exclaimed with a snap of his fingers.

Glalie's body began to glow blue and a bright wave of light blue energy emitted from its mouth as it roared mightily. The wave blew over Speedy and froze him solid.

"Speedy!" Eziray shouted.

"Sheer Cold is powerful enough to take out _any _target. It hasn't failed us once. And with Treecko being a Grass-type, well, we both know this is done here. Maybe one of your friends will have better luck with me."

Eziray rushed forward and kneeled beside the mound of ice but before she could speak, a small crack formed in the center of it.

"Speedy?" Eziray asked.

"T-that's not possible," Johnny choked as the crack expanded and grew in size.

Suddenly, the ice completely shattered and Speedy rose from the shards, bending one arm at the Glalie as if daring it to come at him.

"That's the spirit!" Eziray exclaimed. "I knew you were strong!"

"I can't believe it…" Johnny thought to himself. "None of our opponents have ever survived that move before. This Treecko has gone through some extreme defense training. His trainer…she really does know her stuff."

"Try to break up that ice on the ground with Pound, Speedy! We gotta get you mobile again!"

The Grass-type began slamming away at the ice with its tail, slowly chipping it away.

"Ice Beam!"

Before Speedy could make any real progress on it, Glalie fired yet another Ice Beam at him so he sat and used his arms to push himself away.

"Yeah! Slide towards the wall! There ya go, now jump on it!"

Speedy hopped up onto the wall of the café and climbed up it to avoid being hit by the Ice Beam. It was certainly easier to avoid from up there than on the slippery ice because he had more traction, but the Glalie was still gaining on him nonetheless.

"Use Detect!"

Speedy stopped crawling around to throw up one arm, and then his body began to glow blue as the Ice Beam shot to the left to avoid him.

"Quick thinking indeed, but you've left us an opening. Glalie, use Crunch!"

Before Speedy could put his hand back on the wall, Glalie chomped down on the other arm and forced him to release. His feet weren't enough to keep himself balanced on the vertical wall so he fell back down onto to the ice and slid into a table.

"Awww, slowed down once more! Glalie, give him another Ice Beam. There's no way he can survive another hit!"

Glalie gave a quick shot of Ice Beam and Treecko slid along the ice to avoid it, but he didn't quite cut it; the attack hit his foot and froze him in place. He struggled for a moment but couldn't get it free.

"Let's see you break yourself out of this one. Glalie, one more Sheer Cold and give it all you've got!"

"Speedy!" Eziray cried as the powerful wave of ice shot towards him.

"Tree…" Treecko growled as his body began to glow and his shape began to change.

"Speedy?" Eziray repeated, mesmerized by the transformation taking place.

The glowing figure raised its arm, performing a Detect just as the wave hit. Ice blew in all directions and the trainers shielded their faces. When it was over, they looked back and a Grovyle stood in Speedy's place.

"INCREDIBLE!" Eziray cheered.

"Groh," the newly evolved Speedy grunted, shattering the ice around its foot as it jerked it loose.

"Stay calm, Glalie! We've still got the advantage…"

"Vyyyle…" Speedy continued as it realized that it had claws on its feet now. He experimented with them by digging them into the ice on the ground, and then he smirked up at the Glalie.

"He won't be slipping and sliding anymore!" Eziray exclaimed, noticing the claws as well.

"Groh-vye!" he roared, skating towards the Glalie as the long leaves on his right arm began to glow and connect.

"What's that?" Eziray asked as he leapt up into the air and slashed at his opponent with this strange blade.

"Glae!" the Ice Pokémon cried as it crashed into the ground, shattering the ice around it.

"DO IT AGAIN!" Eziray cheered.

Speedy turned his body, as if he were going to dive into the ground, and then began rotating like a drill. Glalie didn't have time to react, so Speedy hit it with Leaf Blade once more as he drilled it into the ground.

"Now, let's finish _them _off with Quick Attack!"

Grovyle hopped off the Face Pokémon and began racing circles around it to spin it around and around.

"Come on Glalie! Use Sheer Cold! Or Ice Beam… OR ANYTHING!"

"Groh," Speedy said as he stopped to watch the Glalie twirl. "Vyle!"

With a swift kick, he sent his opponent sliding and crashing into the wall.

"Liiiie," the Ice Pokémon coughed as it fell onto its face, out cold.

"YEAH!" Eziray cried with pure joy as she tackled her new Grovyle and wrapped her arms around him.

"What a waste," Johnny said with a sigh as he called back his Pokémon.

"What?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.

"You're an incredibly talented young trainer but instead of using those talents to change the world, you're fooling around in places like this and putting in all this effort to train, but for what? Do you want to be a Pokémon League Champion someday? Do you want people all over Hoenn to admire you for that reason alone? It doesn't make any sense to me. It's conceited. It's a waste…"

"What do you mean by 'change the world' exactly?"

"I mean make it _better_! Do something that will improve the lives of every person and Pokémon alike."

"And you think expanding the ocean will accomplish that?" Lyla asked boldly.

They turned to find her and Olivia standing together, arms crossed. Lyla looked pretty mad but Olivia didn't really seem to know what was going on.

"Expanding the ocean? Is he with Team Aqua?" Eziray asked.

"Not yet, but Olivia told me that he wants to be," Lyla replied.

"Yeah, yeah. We all know they have a bad reputation," Johnny began.

"The rumors hold a little more truth than you think," Lyla interrupted. "Team Aqua and Team Magma destroy lives. We may just be unnecessary entertainment in your eyes, but at least we bring _joy_to those who come to watch us. The world doesn't need changing; you people need to stop trying to fix something that isn't broken."

"Well, nice speech and all, but I don't really agree with you, hun," Johnny said as he turned to leave.

"HEY!" Eziray called, grabbing his attention once more. "We _will_ use our talents to change the world! We're going to save everyone by ridding the world of people like _you_! You'll see!"

"Now _that'd_ be something! I'll have to become stronger then; there's no way I'd ever let you do something like that. But I want you to know that I appreciate that. We may have different opinions, but at least you'll fight for yours. Perhaps your talents won't go to waste after all. Good luck…"

And with that, Johnny left.

"Well _he_ sure was interesting," Eziray said.

"That's one way to put it…" Lyla replied with a sigh.

"I don't get it. Is he our friend or our enemy?" Olivia asked.

"I would call him our enemy. I mean he's on Team Aqua's side," Lyla replied.

"Oh! Speaking of enemies, you two are being civil now! That's great!" Eziray exclaimed.

"I'm always civil," Lyla bragged.

"I just let her know what was going on, that's all!" Olivia cried defensively. "I still don't care for her much."

"Hey, is everything okay? Who was that guy?" Aiden asked, approaching the girls.

"Some Team Aqua grunt in the making," Lyla replied. "Not much of a threat for now…"

Speedy let out a sigh and kneeled down to better catch his breath.

"I think the Pokémon are getting tired, guys. How many people are left to battle?" Eziray asked as she began to scan the room for more opponents. "Let's see. We battled him, him, him, her, him, her, her, him, him."

"Shhh," Lyla said, putting her hand over Eziray's mouth. "And stop pointing at them, it's rude."

Eziray continued on for a few moments and then stopped, removing Lyla's hand.

"That guy! We haven't battled that guy!"

"I did. When you guys were talking to that potential Team Aqua dude…" Aiden trailed off.

"Then that means…" Eziray trailed off.

"Yup! We beat em all!" Lyla exclaimed.

"YEAH!" Eziray shouted triumphantly as she sprinted to the bartender who looked pretty excited.

"I gotta say. Those were some pretty hot battles, kid! And as promised, I'm gonna feed you and your friends for a week!"

"Yeah. Um. About that…you see we're kind of on the road and we don't really plan to be in Slateport for a week, so would it be possible to take that to go?"

* * *

><p>"Eziray…this is the most ridiculous idea you've ever had…" Lyla trailed off as Olivia, the three trainers, and all of their Pokémon hiked up a hill while carrying as many containers of food as they possibly could. "Even if we do get it all to the hotel, it's just going to spoil!"<p>

"Azu, Azu, Azu!" the Azurill cheered as it raced past them, carrying an apple on its head.

"You're new Pokémon is almost as useless as you are, Olivia," Lyla muttered.

"Well it doesn't have any arms so how is it supposed to carry more?" Olivia demanded. "Besides, she's not even my Pokémon anyways. She's just a volunteer so be thankful."

"Do you think we should break the news to her that the Azurill is a male?" Gracie whispered to Eziray.

"I think the Azurill likes being a girl…" Eziray replied.

When they finally made it to the hotel, they were able to check into a room that had a pretty roomy mini fridge so they were able to keep all of the food fresh for the time being. Olivia of course checked into the one right next to theirs so she could invite herself over whenever she wanted. They wanted to get to bed a little earlier that night so they sent her away and were about to get ready for bed when they heard something exploding in the distance. Before they could go see what it was, more explosions began to go off, one after another. They raced to the window in time to see the shimmering image of a Torchic's face up in the sky.

"Fireworks!" Lyla exclaimed as another one went off, this time shaped like a Treecko.

"I've never seen fireworks shaped like Pokémon before!" Eziray exclaimed excitedly as another one, shaped like a Mudkip, went off.

"I wonder what the occasion is," Lyla asked.

"I think there's supposed to be a carnival or something going on tonight," Eziray replied, trying to remember a flyer she had seen at the Pokémon Center when they went after checking into the hotel.

"Well then what are we doing here?" Lyla asked, slipping her boots back on.

"Too bad the Pokémon can't come," Eziray said as she and Aiden followed Lyla out the door.

"It would be better to leave them at Pokémon Center anyway. They've had a big day. Besides, I'm sure Nurse Joy wouldn't want to be bothered at this hour unless it was an emergency, so let's just leave them be," Lyla replied as they raced down the stairs.

"Do you two even know where we're going?" Aiden asked as he followed them into the street.

"This way, guys!" Eziray exclaimed, running towards the beach.

The carnival was about ten minutes away, between the hotel and the beach. They spent the evening enjoying fun games, music, and all sorts of junk food. Aiden won Lyla a Skitty doll at one of the carnival games and Eziray won herself one of just about every doll on display. Lyla and Aiden tried to explain to her that she would have nowhere to put them but she wouldn't listen. The three eventually split up because they couldn't agree on which rides to go on. Eziray went one way while Aiden and Lyla went the other way. The last ride Aiden and Lyla went on together was the Ferris wheel. At the top, they were able to see the entire city and the ocean which was glimmering under the moonlight and seemed to go on forever.

"It's so pretty," Lyla said, resting her head on the rail of the seat. "Do you think Eziray's having fun?"

"I'm sure she is," Aiden replied.

"Aiden…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think she's really serious about wanting to take out Team Aqua and Team Magma?"

"Did she say that?"

"Yeah, earlier today...she swore to that guy she would."

"Then she's really serious about it."

"Do you think we can?"

"Maybe…but we'd all have to get stronger. They shouldn't be taken so lightly."

"I know. Believe me, I know…They can ruin your life in a heartbeat if you're not careful…"

"What happened to you?"

"What?"

"They did something to you before we met you, didn't they?"

Lyla was quiet for a long time as she rehearsed what she was about to say to him in her head.

"When I was little…Two Magma grunts came into my mom's store, terrorized us all, and then left with her. The next morning, I received news of her death but when asked if I knew anything about where she went or who she was with, I couldn't say anything. I wanted justice but they had made me promise not to tell a soul. I was so scared that I didn't tell anyone what really happened, and I've kept it a secret until now…But please don't ask me what they wanted with her because to this day, I still don't–"

Aiden took her by surprise with a hug that was so comforting that it stopped her short. She smiled, fighting back tears and hugged him back. Without saying anything, they both knew that it was settled. They had something else to really train for now, on top of gym battles and contests. Team Aqua and Team Magma's reign of terror was going to come to an end before it was too late, and they knew that the three of them were going to help end it.

**Author Notes:**

For this chapter, I tried to make it more like the game by incorporating that shack where your player can win Soda Pop by defeating all the trainers inside. I also tried to incorporate the trainers that you would encounter in the game (the children on the beach with inner tubes and the sailors). But I did put my own little spin on Team Aqua by introducing Johnny (my own character) and by having Team Aqua talk about the museum heist ahead of time. Oh and yes, I do realize that Olivia's Jigglypuff is still missing, but keep in mind that Olivia's a bit scatterbrained so it's slipped her mind. Hope you liked it even though it was long. Please leave a review telling me what you thought!


	19. CH 19 Performing Arts

**Chapter 19: Performing Arts**

"Jigglypuff, _what_ are you doing in there? Get out before we get in trouble!" Olivia scolded as she struggled to prop herself up on a cement wall.

"Jiggly," the Normal-type replied, taking a sip of a fruity little drink and adjusting the sunglasses on her face.

"Where did you get those things, huh? I better not have to pay for whatever you stole!" Olivia shouted, losing balance and crashing back into the ground on her own side of the wall.

After a full morning of searching, she had finally found her Pokémon – floating on an inner tube in somebody's backyard pool.

"Jiiiggly…"

"No! I didn't abandon you, I promise!" Olivia insisted as she pulled her head up over the wall once more. "I spent a lot of time looking for you yesterday! I even faced _pirates_ for you!"

"Puff?" the Balloon Pokémon replied in disbelief as she raised her sunglasses.

"I'm telling the truth, Jigglypuff! Here, I even have a witness. Meet our new friend!"

The girl held onto the wall tightly with one hand and used the other to take out a Pokéball and throw it up into the air; the Azurill from the day before materialized on the ground just below the wall on Jigglypuff's side. It had decided to come along with Olivia the night before and had willingly tapped the center of one of her empty Pokéballs with its forehead.

"Jiggly-puff!" the Balloon Pokémon exclaimed, hurrying over to greet the Polka Dot Pokémon.

"Azu! Azu!" Azurill chittered as it introduced itself.

"Ooo! I just knew you'd be friends!" Olivia exclaimed, watching over them with admiration.

Using all her might, she finally managed to pull herself up so she could take a seat on top of the wall and return her two Pokémon to their balls. Then she climbed back down and hit the ground running. She didn't stop until she reached the hotel just in time to catch Aiden, Eziray, and Lyla as they were taking off.

"Sup Olivia?" Lyla asked, raising an eyebrow as the fangirl caught up with them with a large grin on her face.

"I'm so glad found you guys!" she exclaimed as she leaned over to catch her breath. "I found Jigglypuff too!"

"That's great!" Lyla replied. "Now you two can go run off to the beach together and stay out of our hair!"

"Funny you say that, Lyla, considering how annoying _you_ are!"

"Maybe so," Lyla said with a slight grin as she took Aiden's hand in hers just to provoke the fangirl.

"And it's begun," Eziray said with a sigh as Olivia went off and Lyla continued to taunt her.

The bickering didn't go on for too long, however, because there was a slam of a door which quickly hushed the two up as they glanced over to see what was going on. A man with a guitar had stormed out of a nearby café and the owner wasn't far behind him, begging him not to leave.

"Come on, Stacy! You're on in five minutes. How am I supposed to find another lunchtime performance in _5 minutes_?"

"Not my problem anymore, man!"

"I'M RUINED!"

"Hey!" Aiden called once the other musician was out of sight. "I can fill in for him…"

"Oh thank the heavens!" the owner exclaimed, noticing the guitar slung over Aiden's shoulder. "Are you any good, kid? Eh. Don't answer that actually. Beggars can't be choosers, right? Come on in!"

"And just like that, Aiden's got his first Hoenn gig!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Alright, Aiden!" Lyla exclaimed as she began to follow him towards the café.

"Wait a minute, Lyla," Eziray said as she suddenly grabbed ahold of Lyla's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think we should go in there with him…"

"What? Why not? It's Aiden's first gig in Hoenn and I wanna see it! Besides, I don't want to give Olivia reason to harass me anymore than she already does."

"That's the problem actually…I mean I wanna see it too, but you and Olivia are bound to tear into each other or start a bar fight or something. You've got a contest to register for too, y'know!"

"You're right…" Lyla trailed off with a sigh. "I almost forgot about it too…Oh well, I guess I'll have to catch his next concert then."

"Hey Aiden! We'll catch ya later, mmkay?" Eziray called, waving to Aiden as Olivia's face lit up.

"Where you headed to?"

"The Contest Hall!"

"Ah, roger that then. See ya in a few!"

"G'luck, babe!" Lyla exclaimed in one last attempt to poke the bear. It worked too; Olivia was fuming.

"Let's go, trouble-maker," Eziray said, pulling Lyla away.

"Myaah!" Skitty cheered as she raced down the street.

"Skitty, where are you off to?" Lyla asked.

"She's probably just excited to stretch her feet! She's been at the Pokémon Center all night you know. In fact, I think everyone should come out to stretch their feet and smell the fresh sea breeze! Charo, Baby, Gracie, Speedy – come on out!"

"You too, Mudkip and Eevee!"

The Pokémon all materialized before their trainers and began sprinting down the street, save Speedy who walked alongside his trainer.

"So your Treecko evolved," Lyla said as she studied the Grovyle. "I never congratulated you, so congrats Ez!"

"Groh!"

"Yes, and congrats to you too, Speedy! I bet you feel really strong now…I wonder if any of my Pokémon are getting ready to change too."

"It takes time. Time, love, and training!"

"I know, and I can't wait!"

"Speaking of training, who are you registering for the contest? You've gotta dedicate the next two days working with whoever you choose, y'know!"

"I might actually go with Skitty again…"

"Vui?" Eevee whispered to herself, perking her ears in disbelief at what she had just heard.

"Really?" Eziray asked.

"I'm reluctant to use Mudkip because he's a little too wild for me to handle sometimes. And as for Eevee, I'm not sure if she's ready for a contest yet. Or rather, I'm not sure I'm ready to use her yet…I just can't think of any good appeals for the–"

"VUI!" the Normal-type in question boomed as she leapt into the air, rotating, and released a flurry of star-shaped disks from her tail.

"Wow!" Eziray exclaimed as Eevee landed and bowed.

"Eevee…I'm speechless. Did Espeon teach you that for the contest?"

"Eee!" the Evolution Pokémon replied with a nod.

"Well you better think up an appeal now, Lyla. You can't let her down after she put in the effort to learn that for you!"

"You're right," Lyla replied with a smile. "Eevee it is!"

* * *

><p>"Alright, you're all set!" the lady at the front desk said as she handed back Lyla's Contest Pass.<p>

It had taken the girls about twenty five minutes to hike up to the Contest Hall, but it would have been even shorter if they hadn't gotten booted off the tram due to Mudkip harassing the driver.

"Thanks much!" Lyla replied as she put her Contest Pass away.

"Anytime! Good luck!"

"So now what?" Eziray asked as they stepped outside.

"Do you think Aiden'll still be playing if we headed to the café right now?" Lyla asked with slight disappointment for missing his first gig.

"If we hurry, we might catch one song!"

"And it's all downhill from here!" Lyla exclaimed as she called Mudkip back to his ball and scooped Skitty up into her arms. "But I think we should try the tram again, just to be quick."

"How about a race?" Eziray replied as she called back all of her Pokémon except Speedy.

"I was thinking the same thing! Alright, Eevee, we've got a lot of training to do starting now. First, we're going to work on your speed and stamina, so try to keep up with Eziray's Grovyle all the way down the hill. Ez and I are gonna see if we can take the tram. Meet you at the bottom!"

"Vui!" Eevee exclaimed as she readied herself for take-off.

"Groh," the Grass-type grunted with a nod.

Then the two Pokémon took off – Speedy leapt from tree to tree while Eevee tried to keep up by sprinting around them. Speedy tried to stay at a pace slow enough for Eevee, but she still lagged a little bit. This made her pretty angry, however, and she sped up into a Quick Attack. Unfortunately, she forgot about the trees and crashed right into one.

"Vui…" she trailed off as she watched the stars swirl around her head. Then she shook it off and thought for a moment. She wondered if leaping from branch to branch like Speedy would be quicker and easier than sprinting along the ground.

"Vyle!" Speedy exclaimed, returning to see if she was alright.

"Eee…" she trailed off as she attempted to climb the tree, but she just slid right back down.

Speedy sighed and took a seat as he waited for her to try a couple more times. After a few minutes of failed attempts, however, he let her know that it was time to go and took off. She paused for a moment to think again and then she figured out how she would be able to get up.

"Ee-VUI!" she exclaimed as she multiplied by five with Double Team.

The four duplicates climbed on top of each other, leaning against the tree. Using Quick Attack, the original sprinted forward and up the Eevee ladder before leaping onto the lowest tree branch. Then she hopped from branch to branch until she felt she was high enough.

"Vui…" she trailed off, studying the gap between her branch and the one of the tree in front of her.

She closed her eyes and jumped with all her might, just barely grabbing hold of the branch she had aimed for. She struggled for a moment as her hind legs dangled below her, but she eventually managed to pull herself up onto it. She panted for a moment and then tried again with the next branch. As she hopped from branch to branch, she grew more and more used to it. Pretty soon, she had quite a momentum going.

"Groh?" Speedy said as Eevee finally passed him.

He was pretty shocked at first but then he smiled and increased his pace until he was slightly in the lead again. The two Pokémon continued to race through the trees together until they reached the bottom of the hill. Speedy wasn't that tired out because he was used to it but Eevee collapsed and panted until the tram arrived.

"Workin' her hard, Speedy?" Eziray asked as she stepped out of it.

"How was it, Eevee?" Lyla asked as she picked up the discolored Evolution Pokémon.

"Mya! Mya!" Skitty exclaimed, picking up on a familiar sound and charging forward.

"Now where are you going?" Lyla asked as she held Eevee tight and followed the Kitten Pokémon.

"Let's go, Speedy!" Eziray exclaimed as she and Speedy took off too.

Skitty led them back to the café where Aiden was playing, just in time to catch his last song.

"Skitty," Lyla began as she took a seat at an empty table up by the stage. "You really amaze me with how well you can hear."

"Isn't he great?" Eziray asked, taking a seat across from Lyla.

"He's incredible…" Lyla replied.

"Awww, are you falling in love?" Eziray teased.

Lyla smiled without responding. She wanted to enjoy the music now, Eziray as well. Deep down, however, Lyla wondered if she really was falling in love with Aiden.

When the song was over, he received a rather loud applause – especially from Olivia. He thanked the crowd with a wide grin and then stepped off the stage to meet with the owner.

"Thank goodness you were around when you were, kid!" the owner exclaimed. "Here's for your performance! There's some tips from the customers in there too."

Aiden thanked the owner as he was handed a pretty fat wad of cash. Eziray and Lyla cried out with joy upon seeing it because they were happy not to be flat broke anymore. As Aiden and the three girls stepped out into the street, he was immediately showered with compliments – from Olivia and Lyla especially. His glory was cut short, however, when a young red-headed girl with braids interrupted them.

"Excuse me, but have you four seen a Mareep wandering around?" she asked, her deep blue eyes filled with panic.

She was a bit younger than them, about thirteen or so. Her two wine red braids fell to her shoulder blades and she had full bangs in the front that fell to just above her eyes. Her cheeks were spotted with a few tiny freckles and she was dressed in a red flannel shirt with the long sleeves that she had rolled up, jean capris, and white tennis shoes without socks.

"Can't say we have," Eziray replied with a frown.

"But we could help you look for it!" Lyla offered.

"Really?" the girl asked, clasping her hands together next to her face.

"Yeah! We can split up and cover more ground. Then we can meet back up here in an hour!" Lyla continued.

"Sounds like a plan! See you soon," the girl said, racing off.

"It's funny," Olivia began, "that when I begged you guys to help me find Jigglypuff this morning, you refused. But when a complete stranger comes around, you're all for it! Do you even know what a Mareep is?"

"I'm working on it…" Eziray trailed off, trying to figure out how to look it up on her Pokédex.

"You've had that thing for how long and you still don't know how to work it? Here, give it to me," Aiden said.

"No! I can do it!"

"And about not helping you, Olivia," Lyla finally replied as Aiden and Eziray played tug-of-war with the Pokédex. "We told you we would. You just had to wait until after the continental breakfast!"

"Yeah, well, while you were stuffing your face, Jigglypuff could have been suffering all alone somewhere…Besides, you all have a week's worth of meals for the three of you stashed away up there in your suite. What the hell did you need to go to the continental breakfast for?"

"Because it was free…"

"Did you get your Pokédex updated back at Birch's lab like Professor Oak said? There are only Kanto natives on here…" Aiden trailed off as he scrolled through the dex.

"Of course I did! It wouldn't be working with all these Hoenn Pokémon otherwise. Give it to me, you're on the wrong menu," Eziray snapped as Lyla sighed and pressed a couple buttons on her own Pokédex.

"Mareep, the Wool Pokémon: It sheds its fleece in the summer but grows it back in a week. If static electricity builds in its body, its fleece doubles in volume and touching it could be very shocking!" the Dex informed.

"Thank you, Lyla," Aiden said.

"Mhm!" she replied. "Come take a look everyone."

Olivia and Aiden hovered over Lyla's shoulders and took a look at the Pokédex to see the image of a Mareep. Eziray, however, was still fiddling with her own Pokédex.

"It's a little yellow and blue sheep thing, Ez. That's all you need to know," Lyla called.

"Got it!" Eziray replied back without even looking up.

"Then I guess we should begin the search then?" Lyla asked as Aiden and Olivia gave her some space. "I'll head North, Aiden West, Eziray East, and Olivia South?"

"Yes! The beach!" Olivia cheered as she raced off.

"We're not really splitting up, are we?" Eziray figured.

"No, Ez, we're not," Lyla giggled. "But Eevee, I want you to help look too."

"Vui?" the Normal-type replied, cocking her head.

"You should be constantly working and improving that Quick Attack of yours, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I want you to cover as much ground as possible and then meet back here in an hour or if you find the Mareep, got it? And try not to stop or walk too frequently okay…but don't hurt yourself either. Learn your limits."

Eevee nodded and took off running. Lyla watched after her until she was out of sight and then sighed.

"What's wrong, Lyla? I'd say you're really getting the hang of being a trainer," Eziray complimented.

"Really?"

"Yep! And it's really not a bad idea to cover as much ground as possible…so, with that said, Charo, Gracie, Baby, come on back out!"

Eziray sent out her remaining three Pokémon to join the search and gave them all a nod. Speedy, Charo, and Gracie took off but she decided to keep Baby with her. Aiden followed suit by sending out Combusken and Espeon as well; the Fire-type stayed with him and the Psychic-type set off on her own. Lyla didn't want Mudkip running amok so she kept him in his ball.

"Alright, let's go…THIS WAY!" Eziray exclaimed, racing off.

"Eziray, that's the way that trainer went, it's pointless to look there," Aiden shouted.

"Then this way!" Eziray exclaimed, making a quick turn.

"That'll do," Lyla said as she and Aiden followed.

"Do you think it could have gotten down into the sewers?" Eziray wondered as they walked along.

"Well there's only one way to know for sure…" Aiden trailed off.

"I'm not going down there…" Lyla said as Eziray removed a manhole cover and they all took a good whiff.

"You still have Mudkip, don't you?" Eziray asked.

"Of course. Sending him off into the city by himself is like sending a small, hyperactive child into an antiques shop…I thought it best to leave him out of this search."

"Well, you may have to reconsider."

"Are you joking? Didn't you hear what I just said? Besides, can you imagine what it'll be like to bathe him after this? If you wanna volunteer, be my guest!"

"But what if the Mareep is down there?"

"…Fine. But the blood is on _your_ hands if something bad becomes of this!"

Lyla reluctantly withdrew Mudkip's Pokéball from her bag and sent out the little mischief-maker.

"Mud?" the Water-type asked, peering into the sewer below them.

"Yep, you're going swimming, love. You're gonna go down there and find a lost Pokémon that looks like this," Lyla explained as she held out her Pokédex for Mudkip to get a good look.

"Mud-kip!" he exclaimed excitedly, leaping down into the sewer.

"Hey, stay focused!" Lyla shouted down to him. "I don't see him anymore…He better have heard me, damnit."

She hesitated for a moment and sighed. Then she turned to her friends and the three continued their search. Lyla kept Mareep's image on her Pokédex and asked every person they encountered if they had seen it. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be of any help. As they walked along, they scanned the streets carefully, looked into trashcans, behind fences, under benches, around corners, in between bushes, on top of buildings (with Baby and Skitty's help), and in any other potential hiding places they came across. Thirty five minutes went by with no luck.

"Hey, what was that?" Lyla asked as a bolt of electricity fired up into the sky about a block away.

The trainers rushed towards it, only to find a kid training her Minun.

"I'm sorry," the young trainer said with a frown. "Are we not allowed to be here?"

"Don't worry, we're not here to get you in trouble. We're just looking for a lost Pokémon. Have you seen it?" Lyla asked, showing the girl her Pokédex.

"Actually, I did see a Pokémon like that. It went that way," the girl said, pointing to the West of them.

"Thanks!" Lyla said as they followed the girl's directions.

"No problem!"

"Alright, so we're on its trail now," Lyla said, watching closely for movement.

"I'll go look by that big dumpster!" Eziray said, rushing forward.

"It's been nearly forty minutes now; do you think one of the others has found her?" Lyla asked.

"Maybe not, if she's over here I mean. I don't think the others have searched this area yet," Aiden replied.

"This is getting hopeless. Why did I volunteer us for this again?"

"Hey, you just wanted to help out. I'm sure you would want some strangers to help you find Skitty if anything ever happened to her."

"I guess you're right…Do you think it'd be hiding in one of those flower pots over there?"

"Hey guys!" Eziray said, rushing towards them with a growling doglike Pokémon in her arms. "Is this a Mareep?"

"No, Eziray. _That_ is a Houndour," Aiden said, as he gritted his teeth nervously.

"Put it down. PUT IT DOWN!" Lyla cried as the Dark Pokémon took a deep breath.

Before Eziray could say anything else, the stray Houndour blasted her in the face with Flamethrower and fled.

"I'd say you got lucky there, Ez," Aiden said with a chuckle. "That thing looked pretty ticked."

"Hey, that was a pretty cool Pokémon. I shoulda caught it since it wasn't the Mareep…"

"Let's just stay focused," Lyla said with a sigh as they continued on.

After a while, Lyla suggested that maybe the girl with the Minun had been full of shit. Then she headed into a nearby Pokémart to see if anyone saw anything. Aiden went along too to stock up on supplies with some of his pay from earlier. When they came back out, Eziray greeted them as she held up an enraged Voltorb.

"Hey, look what I found!"

"Eziray, does that look like a sheep to you?" Lyla demanded. "Where did you even find that?"

"I know you know what that is," Aiden muttered.

"Of course I know what it is! I just think it's cool to find Kanto natives here. Lyla, wanna hold it?"

"No, I don't want to hold it…Hey, is it evolving?"

"EZIRAY GET RID OF IT!" Aiden shouted.

"Oh shit…" Eziray trailed off as she chucked it as far as she could.

"Why would you do that?" Lyla demanded, but before she could get a response, a large explosion took out an entire row of fences and some benches.

"Because it wasn't evolving, it was _self-destructing_," Aiden explained.

"That's actually an attack? Shit. That thing was like a frigging time bomb then, huh?" Lyla said as Eziray burst out laughing. "Wait you _knew_ it was going to do that?"

"Mya?" Skitty meowed, ears twitching.

"It's not funny, Eziray. Knock it off!" Lyla insisted as Skitty darted off. "I mean I think the city should be doing about this if those things are just _lying_ around."

"You're insane," Aiden said with a grin as Eziray's laughing began to cease.

"Hey…where's Skitty going?" she asked.

Lyla turned in time to catch Skitty turning a corner.

"Skitty!" she called as she raced after.

As the Kitten Pokémon proceeded forward, the sound of a cowbell became more and more distinct. She turned another corner and immediately saw a blue Pokémon with yellow wool and a cowbell around her neck.

"Maaaaah…" it sighed to itself, really depressed about something.

"Myaaa!" Skitty exclaimed, running up to the Pokémon, purring.

"Mah-ree…" it trailed off when it noticed Skitty.

Skitty smiled happily and vigorously shook her head from side to side to make her own bell jingle. Then she paused and looked up at the cowbell curiously.

"Mah-mah!" the Pokémon exclaimed before shaking her head too.

Lyla, Aiden and Eziray all turned the corner just in time to catch the endnof the little concert. It brought smiles to their faces to hear the Pokémon laughing joyfully as their bells rang noisily.

"Well, we found the Mareep," Lyla observed.

"With about five minutes to spare" Eziray added with a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>"Oh Mareep! Where have you been? You should know better than to go running off <em>now<em>. Your big day is coming up, you know!"

"Maah…" the Mareep sighed, looking down sadly.

"Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you excited?"

The Electric-type didn't respond and her trainer frowned.

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting stage fright _now_!"

"Stage fright?" Lyla echoed. "Are you a coordinator?"

"Yes, I am!" the girl replied. "I probably look like such a novice right now but it's really Mareep who's new at this!"

"Hey, no worries Mareep!" Lyla began, bending down to comfort the Pokémon. "I'm a coordinator and I'm pretty new at this too! I know exactly how you feel, but believe me, making your debut is a blast regardless of how well you do!"

"She's absolutely right!" Mareep's owner exclaimed. "And you perform so beautifully! They'll love you, I promise."

"Mah-reep!" the Wool Pokémon cheered, feeling much better.

"Thank you!" the girl said, turning to Lyla. "My name's Robin by the way."

"I'm Lyla!"

"So you're new to contests, huh? Well, I know a thing or two I can share with you if you'd like," Robin offered as she clicked open a case, revealing an ocean blue ribbon with light blue spots and a pastel green border. "I won this in Lilycove City about a month ago."

"Oh wow, it's beautiful! I haven't won any yet…" Lyla admitted as she gazed over the ribbon with admiration. "So I'd love some advice!"

"Then how 'bout a battle then? I wanna see what I'm working with here!"

"I'm so down! Hey Eevee, are you too tired out from your little jog?"

"Vui!" Eevee exclaimed, bounding forward.

"Oh, your Eevee is so pretty! I love her coloring and shiny coat!" Robin complimented.

"Ee-ee-vui!" Eevee exclaimed, puffing out the fur on her chest like a true superstar diva.

"A little full of herself though," Lyla muttered.

"Alright, well Mareep, how about one last practice battle!"

"Mah!" the Wool Pokémon exclaimed.

The two trainers and Pokémon took their positions and readied themselves for battle.

"Alright, Eevee, let's start things off with that Quick Attack of yours!"

"Ee-vueh!" the Normal-type exclaimed, charging forward.

"Counter it with Tackle, Mareep!"

The Mareep charged forward as well, but not nearly as fast. When the two collided, Mareep was drastically overpowered and flew back quite a ways.

"Nice power!" Robin praised as Mareep stood. "But I'm afraid it takes more than that for contests. Mareep, slow it down with Cotton Spore!"

The Electric-type concentrated and dozens of cotton balls were suddenly released from her fleece and surrounded the two Pokémon.

"Seems pretty harmless to me…" Lyla trailed off. "Eevee, give it another Quick Attack!"

Eevee charged forward once more. Although the cotton balls did turn out to be harmless, they proved to be quite an obstacle as they randomly drifted about and into Eevee's way. They clung to her fur and tripped her, causing her speed to decrease significantly and allowing Mareep to move out of the way with ease.

"But who says they _can't_ be harmless?" Robin began with a grin. "I'm sure you know that wool can accumulate a bit of static electricity. Mareep, use Thunder Shock!"

The orb at the end of Mareep's tail began to glow and spark wildly and then she released a wave of electricity from her entire body, which Eevee managed to avoid, but all of the cotton balls became charged as a result. Eevee happened to brush against one and it gave her a painful shock.

"How creative," Aiden commented.

"Try to find a spot that isn't so concentrated, Eevee!"

The Evolution Pokémon gave a quick nod and then darted forward, doing her best to avoid the floating balls of electrically charged wool until she found a spot where she could move around with a little more ease.

"Let's try a long range attack now, use Swift!"

"Light Screen, Mareep!"

As Eevee aimed and fired, a bright yellow wall formed just in front of the Mareep, shielding her from the attack.

"Lookin' good, Mareep!" Robin praised as the sparks rained over Mareep from the Swift attack hitting the Light Screen. "Now let's try that new move we've been working on!"

The Mareep concentrated and the orb on her tail began to glow once more. It slowly ceased and there was a pause. But as Lyla opened her month to speak, a large bolt of electricity came down from the sky.

"DIG!" she managed, but the Thunder hit and she wasn't sure if Eevee had got the message in time.

"ALRIGHT!" Eziray cheered when the light dimmed and the dust settled, revealing a deep hole in Eevee's place.

Before anyone else could say anything, Eevee popped up straight underneath the Mareep and forced it up into the air.

"Maah!" the Wool Pokémon cried as she tried to endure the super effective Ground-type move.

"Now give it another Swift Attack!"

Eevee quickly sent Mareep back into the ground with one last Swift attack that finished it off. Then she landed and immediately began grooming her tail which had been completely singed by the Thunder attack.

"Mareep, that was a great performance," Robin began as she called back her fallen Pokemon. "Hey, you're actually really not that bad for a beginner! You're doing a great job raising your Pokémon so far, and it's important to have tough Pokémon, even in contests. You just need to work on your style a bit."

"My style?"

"Yeah! Like your performance…There are five basic ways to impress the judges and audience, and that's by making your Pokémon look cool, cute, beautiful, smart, or tough. I'd pick one and stick with it depending on the appearance and personality of the Pokémon you're appealing with. You can of course add in a small mix of the other four to really show off, but that's a bit more complicated."

"Remember Skitty's appeal in Rustboro?" Eziray interjected. "That's exactly what she's talking about because it showed off how cute Skitty is!"

"I get it!" Lyla exclaimed with a grin.

"And another thing!" Robin said before she lost Lyla's attention. "As you know, you lose points when your opponent's moves hit and you do quite a bit of dodging to avoid that. It's fine but if you really want to make your opponent lose some major points, try _using_ the attack."

"Use it?"

"Yeah, like send it back at them somehow, or even better, use it to make _your_ Pokémon look better!"

"Oh yeah, it seems like Selena did a lot of that," Lyla realized as she reflected.

"Oh my gosh! You _competed_ with _Selena_? I am not worthy!"

"Am I missing something?"

"Selena has to be the most talented coordinator to take the stage in Hoenn! I mean her Pokémon could crush gym leaders, but so elegantly that it'd bring tears to your eyes to watch. She's the one who inspired me to become a coordinator! She just came out of nowhere about two years ago and in six months, she already had her five ribbons. It took our Grand Festival Champion more than three times as long to get her five. In fact, everyone expected Selena to take Grand Festival Champion last year, but…she just didn't show up to the finals…."

"Something must have happened to her or her Pokémon," Aiden suggested.

"Maybe, but she won't tell anyone! And it seems like she fell off the face of the Earth until just recently, I guess. I don't watch TV much, but someone told me she competed in Rustboro. Oh my gosh, she probably went on some sort of super intense training trip or something. SO COOL!"

"I wonder why she came back from her hiatus all of a sudden. I mean the next Grand Festival isn't for a while, is it?" Lyla asked, cocking her head.

"I guess she just didn't want to get rusty. Ohhh…I really hope I can get five ribbons before the next Grand Festival! I mean I started doing contests just before last year's Grand Festival and I don't have much to show for it yet, but I really think I'm getting the hang of it. It would just be so awesome to compete with Selena this year! I don't even mind losing!"

"I'd be happen with just one ribbon," Lyla said with a sigh.

"I know exactly how you feel. I entered so many contests before I won my ribbon and it was just so discouraging…I really wish you the best on Friday! If I don't win that ribbon, than I sure hope that you do!"

"You mean it?" Lyla asked, face lighting up.

"You bet!" Robin said extending her hand. "It was really cool meeting you Lyla! See you Friday?"

"See ya then!" Lyla exclaimed as she shook Robin's hand.

"She was so nice!" Eziray exclaimed after Robin and her Mareep parted.

"I know! After meeting Selena, I had the impression that coordinators are too competitive to be friends with one another, so what a relief. I'm so happy to have a contest buddy now!"

As Lyla finished her statement, her stomach grumbled and she put her hands over it and moaned a bit.

"Hey, let's head back to the hotel now," she suggested. "I think it's time for a late lunch…"

Aiden and Eziray nodded in agreement and the three headed off to the hotel together where they ate as planned. They then dedicated the remainder of the day to working on Eevee for Friday. A lot of progress was made and Lyla even thought up an appeal for the preliminary round of the contest. When it got dark, they wrapped it up and headed back to the hotel once more for a very good night's rest.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>As I keep saying, I like to incorporate aspects from the show and the games so I decided to put a little focus on the five categories of contests in the games (cool, beauty, etc.) in Robin's tips. And I haven't really mentioned it since the first chapter, but Skitty has a black collar with a bell around her neck so I hope that the jingle bell scene didn't confuse anyone. Anyways, I hope you all liked it! Please be sure to subscribe and review and whatnot if you liked it ^^


	20. Ch 20 The Oceanic Museum Heist

**Chapter 20: The Oceanic Museum Heist**

"MUDKIP, WHAT DID YOU DO?" Lyla demanded, tapping her foot.

Mudkip stood before her, all covered in smelly sewer goo and cowering as if she were going to beat him. Behind him, people were running around frantically as hoards of Grimer came crawling out of the sewers and flooded into the streets.

"Earlier today, at around 6:30 AM, the Grimer who apparently inhabit our sewers began to surface," a nearby reporter began as her camera man recorded the spectacle. "As you can see, some of the Grimer have what appear to be small chunks of ice lodged into their bodies. Authorities suspect that an Ice-type Pokémon found its way into the sewers and irritated the Sludge Pokémon out of hiding. We advise everyone to stay indoors and keep the air freshener close!"

"If they trace this back to us, I have no idea how we're going to pay for the damages. And my contest is tomorrow so we can't just split…Mudkip, YOU IDIOT!"

"Can't…go on…losing…ability to breathe," Olivia choked.

"Oh knock it off," Eziray muttered, pinching her nose.

"Haaaa," she gasped. "Aiden, I need mouth-to-mouth!"

"Ask one of the Grimer to do it…" he trailed off.

"We're going to be responsible for tearing the city down," Lyla said calmly, in spite of how overwhelmed she was. "We allowed this to happen by sending him into the sewer. This is our fault."

"I'm sure we can fix it somehow," Eziray said with an obscured voice from pinching her nose.

"Yeah, let's send him into a nuclear center this time," Lyla muttered.

"Shiftry, use Razor Leaf!"

"Shift," a Shiftry growled as it landed on a nearby roof and released a flurry of razor-sharp leaves with one hearty flap of the fan leaves at the end of its arms. The leaves shot forward, slicing up a rather large handful of the Grimer in the street.

"Griiie?" the Grimer all said under the breath, pausing to stare blankly at their attacker.

There was a long stare down and everyone watched with hope that something big was about to go down. To their delight, the Grimer all charged towards the building on which the Shiftry stood, but he was ready for them. With a couple more flaps of his palm leaves, he had them surrounded by a whole storm of leaves. The Sludge Pokémon could only take so much; when it ceased, they were quite done with being sliced up and fled back to the sewers. On their way down, they all let out ear-shattering cries to call their friends who were dispersed all throughout the city.

"What is that thing?" Eziray asked, taking out her Pokédex.

"Creepy," Lyla replied with a frown.

"Shiftry, the Wicked Pokémon: Its large fans can cause winds in excess of one-hundred feet per second and can blow anything away. They are said to live in the tops of trees that are over 1,000 years old."

"Sounds like a Pokémon you don't wanna mess with…" Lyla trailed off.

"Nicely done!" a boy praised as he joined the Shiftry on the roof. His hair was blond and slicked-back. He looked to be in his early twenties and he was dressed in a rather expensive-looking blue suit.

"Hey, cool heroic entrance and everything, but do you really think your dressed right for jumping around on rooftops?" Lyla asked, putting her hands on her hips and looked him over.

"Obnoxious little brat," he muttered.

"Oh goodie! Someone finally agrees with me!" Olivia cheered.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything bad by it, but if that's how you're going to be then I wanna make another little suggestion. Why don't you save some money on hair gel by not using the _whole_ container when you style your hair each morning?"

"I think we need to get you a sign that says 'doesn't play well with others,'" Eziray said, smacking herself in the forehead.

"Come on, this guy's a dick!" Lyla defended.

"Do you know who you're talking to, kid?"

"I'm maybe a year or two younger than you. Don't call me 'kid.'"

"Whatever…Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"

"Ehh…I was on TV recently. Rustboro Contest?"

"Oh God, don't tell me…"

"Excuse me?"

"You're that rookie coordinator Selena was telling me about on the cruise liner…So this is the_ infamous_ Lyla. Selena seems to be somewhat interested in you, although her talent scouting leaves a little something to be desired if you ask me…"

"Excuse…me?"

"Oh, don't mind me. I shouldn't have said that. I apologize! Heavens, I haven't even seen you perform yet. I shouldn't be making such a judgment, forgive me. My name's Ashton. I've been a coordinator for about six years now, but I'm not from around here actually. I was born in Sinnoh, where I won myself ten gorgeous ribbons and made it to the semi-finals of the Sinnoh Grand Festival three years in a row. I decided to come and check out Hoenn this time around though. After all, this is the birth region of contests, you know! I intend to earn my fourth Hoenn ribbon tomorrow."

"No one asked for your life story," Lyla mumbled, but not loud enough for him to hear.

"Soooo, tell me about your friends!" he exclaimed.

"Well…this is Eziray. She's taking the Hoenn Pokémon League challenge, and she currently has two badges under her belt. This is our friend Aiden. He's a musician. And…this is Olivia. She stalks us from time-to-time."

"I DO NOT!" Olivia objected. "I'm simply here for Aiden's moral support!"

Ashton watched as the two bickered for a moment but then he cut them off because he couldn't stand it any longer.

"So, basically, you hang out with some hotheaded Pokémon trainer who seems to think she has what it takes to win the Pokémon League, an 'artist' with no particular talent, and occasionally some eccentric fangirl with a few too many loose screws. Don't you know that your self-image in the contest world is really reflected upon those who you associate yourself with? And with that said, I don't really want to be seen talking with you all, especially with that reporter standing around over there. It was nice meeting you though, Lyla! Good luck tomorrow. You will most certainly need it."

"…What a _prick_," Lyla said, staring blankly as he and the Shiftry hopped off the roof and walked away together.

"Seems like you and Robin are the only decent people in the 'contest world,'" Eziray said, putting her arms behind her head.

"HEY I JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Here we go," Lyla muttered.

"So…that guy said something about a contest tomorrow, right?"

"Very good, Olivia…"

"Can it, Lyla! Anyways, that means tomorrow is Friday…which means today is Thursday…which means…"

"You know your days of the week, yay?"

"No! I mean yes…_Anyway_, it means that something bad was supposed to happen today!"

"Well I'd say _this _was pretty bad," Lyla said, throwing up her arms to direct everyone's attention to the mess that the Grimer had left behind.

"No!" Olivia shouted, and then started again in a whisper, "I'm talking about the _pirates_."

"Oh, right. They were gonna pay the Oceanic Museum a visit, huh? Then I guess we will too…"

"Wuhh?" Eziray asked. "They had you quaking in your boots on Dewford Island and you wanna go sabotaging their plans all of a sudden? HELL YES! LET'S GO!"

"Well, I'm in too so it's settled," Aiden replied with a grin.

"I-I think I'm gonna sit this one out. I don't feel good all of a sudden…" Olivia trailed off. "I don't really want to go chasing pirates today. You guys go ahead…"

"I think you're better off that way," Eziray said. "You don't need to be going and getting hurt or anything…"

"I'll go find the authorities and give them a heads up, but they may have their hands full until this whole Grimer mess gets cleared up. Guys…be careful…"

"Will do, Olivia. Thanks for helping out," Aiden said with a smile.

"Anytime," she replied, blushing brightly.

"According to the map, the Oceanic Museum is only a few blocks from here," Lyla said as she examined her PokéNav.

"So…what's the plan?" Aiden asked.

"I was kinda hoping you'd come up with one, actually," Lyla said. "Eziray?"

"You mean, you guys didn't come up with something?"

"Well, this should be a curious endeavor," Lyla muttered.

"I guess we should just take a tour and see what happens…" Aiden trailed off.

* * *

><p>"This is a sample of some soil from the ocean floor. Over many years, the remains of life-forms settle at the bottom of the sea, making sedimentary layers. By analyzing these layers, the ancient past is revealed!" a museum tour guide explained as the three trainers and some other visitors examined a glass display.<p>

"Fascinating," Lyla muttered sarcastically as she watched someone snap a picture of it. "Yeah, take a picture lady. You'll want to remember this pile of dirt for the rest of your life…"

"Now follow me to your right and we'll see a sample of some beach sand!"

"Hey you guys, this thing is cool!" Eziray exclaimed, examining a glass vessel with blue fluid spiraling around.

"Why would Team Aqua have any interest in this place? I mean aside from the fact that both are completely obsessed with the ocean. It just seems like there isn't really anything useful or valuable here…" Aiden trailed off.

"Cancel the tour? Why cancel the tour?" the tour guide whispered, trying to be discrete.

The trainers turned to find her talking to one of the museum security guards. He whispered something back to her and she suddenly burst out laughing and asked how a helicopter could possibly be landing on the roof as they spoke.

"Do you think?" Lyla asked.

There was a pause and everyone began to listen carefully to the noise that was becoming more and more distinct. It did, in fact, sound as if a helicopter was steadily coming down onto the building. A sudden thud above their heads finally confirmed it.

"Yep, that's gotta be them," Aiden said as the engine was killed.

"What's going on here," the tour guide demanded as she began making her way to the front desk to phone the police. "This is just ridiculous."

"MIGHTY!" a Mightyena roared as it bolted in through the front doors and grabbed ahold of her wrist with his sharp fangs before she could reach for the phone on the wall.

"Now, now. No need to be calling the police. We're just visiting, but you'll have to excuse us for having no money to pay the entrance fee," Commander Tabitha said with a grin as he walked through the front door with two female Magma grunts.

"Team Magma? I thought Olivia said Team Aqua was going to be infiltrating the museum…" Lyla thought to herself. "No matter…I'd rather ruin _their_ plans anyway!"

"You two, stay here and guard the door," Tabitha ordered. "No one here is going anywhere until we have what we need."

"Yes sir," the two grunts replied in unison.

"Now, who here is willing to tell me where I can find the man called Captain Stern?"

"He's on the research floor, but–"

Before the tour guide could finish her sentence, Tabitha grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and the Mightyena released her. Tabitha then shoved her forward and demanded her to take him to said research floor.

"Hey, security guard. You planning on doing anything about this?" Aiden asked as Tabitha and the guide disappeared up the staircase.

"Do you think this museum banks enough money to hire _real_ security guards? I'm just a volunteer! I don't even have a Pokémon…"

"Then I guess, we're gonna have to do your job for you," Eziray replied as she reached for a Pokéball at her belt.

"But we gotta get all these people out of here first," Lyla added as she sent out Eevee. "I can handle these grunts. You two should go save this Captain Stern guy."

"Are you sure?" Eziray asked skeptically.

"She'll be fine now," Aiden said, giving Lyla a wink.

"You really shouldn't meddle in our affairs, kid," one of the grunts said as Aiden and Eziray raced up the stairs.

"How many people are going to refer to me as 'kid' today?" Lyla muttered.

"This was supposed to be a quick, in-and-out sort of deal, but if you wanna make a fight out of it then you're really going to regret it!" the other added.

"We'll just see about that. Skitty, Eevee, get ready!"

The two Normal-types braced themselves and stared the two grunts down angrily.

"The girl's got herself two run-of-the-mill Pokémon and she seems to suddenly think that she's some hero. Let's get this over with and put her in her place! Numel, take her out!"

"You too, Slugma!"

The two grunts' Fire-type Pokémon materialized and positioned themselves for battle.

"And you think _my _Pokémon are 'run-of-the-mill,'" Lyla thought to herself. "I'll show you…"

Not wanting to take any chances, Lyla called the first move; she ordered both Eevee and Skitty to use Tackle. Slugma was designated as Eevee's target and Numel was designated as Skitty's. The two Normal-types charged forward with all their might, but the Slugma surprised them both with a Smog attack that choked and blinded them with a cloud of noxious gas. Luckily, neither of them inhaled enough to poison themselves, but before the cloud dispersed, the opponents gave them another little surprise. Eevee and Skitty were both suddenly knocked right out of the cloud by a flurry of scorching embers that both of the Fire-types had shot at them.

"You guys okay?" Lyla asked as the two stood; they both gave a nod. "Good! Now Eevee, let's hit 'em with your new Swift attack. And Skitty, help her out with Assist!"

Eevee made a quick whipping motion with her tail, firing a dozen of star-shaped discs towards her opponents. Neither of them could dodge in time and the stars pelted them, exploding against their bodies upon impact. As the attack hit, Skitty opened her mouth and revealed that a bright ball of energy was forming inside it. Just as the final star struck, Mudkip's Water Gun shot from this orb and soaked the two opponents before they even had a chance to recuperate.

"Come on you idiots, we know you have more in you than that," one of the grunts barked.

"Stand up, and gang up on them with Ember again!"

"Maybe you'd get a little more out of them if you treated them properly," Lyla said angrily as more bits of fire came at her and her Pokémon. "Eevee, use Dig!"

Eevee quickly dug through the wooden flooring and Skitty jumped into the hole after her to avoid the attack as well. Lyla then realized that the embers were going to hit _her_ now so she dove out of the way and they destroyed one of the exhibits instead.

"NOOOOOO!" one of the museum visitors screamed as beach sand spilled everywhere and Lyla got back on her feet.

"I almost forgot about them…better finish this up soon before someone gets hurt," Lyla thought to herself. Then she called out to the group of visitors, "Stay out of the way people! Don't worry about the exhibits…they're really not that spectacular anyway."

"Why can't you take this outside before you completely trash this place!" the visitor cried as she glared at the hole Eevee had made.

"I better not have to pay for all this damage," Lyla muttered, turning back to the battle.

"On your toes, Slugma! They could come up anywhere…"

"The same goes for you, Numel!"

"You know neither of them even have toes, right?" Lyla said, rolling her eyes. "Eevee, go ahead and use Double Team if you haven't already. Then pelt them with Swift a little more!"

A mass of Eevee suddenly exploded from the ground and began firing Swift at the two Fire-types who simply braced themselves and endured it.

"Quit just standing there and use Ember!"

The Slugma spat out more bits of fire to counter the stars and destroy the Eevee duplicates. The Numel was about to join in too, but Lyla ordered Skitty to come out and use DoubleSlap so the Normal-type knocked the Numel around a bit before it had the chance to help out its teammate. Then she landed a few feet away and stared her opponent down as Slugma hit the last Eevee duplicate and began aiming for the real one.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack to dodge them and then knock it out with Tackle!"

Eevee increased her pace into a speedy Quick Attack, dodging all of the incoming embers, and then she rammed into her opponent with all her might, sending it flying back a ways.

"Myaaa!" Skitty cheered victoriously.

"Skitty, watch out!" Lyla exclaimed as Numel came at her with Tackle.

The Normal-type evaded the attack and then Lyla ordered her to finish the Numel off as well with a DoubleSlap-Iron Tail combination. Skitty nodded and her tail began to glow brightly as she charged towards the Numel. Then she knocked it upside the head repeatedly until it fell to the ground. The Kitten Pokémon was just about to start cheering once more when the Numel forced itself back onto its feet and fired one last Ember at her.

"Myaa…" Skitty trailed off uneasily as she braced herself for the attack.

Suddenly, Eevee came to the rescue by tackling the Numel which skewed the attack. Then she finished it off with one last Quick Attack and Skitty watched as the Pokémon fell before them.

"Return!" one of the grunts said as they both called back their fainted Pokémon. Without saying anything else, they fled.

"Awesome work, Eevee!" Lyla exclaimed as she returned Eevee as well, but then she noticed how depressed Skitty was for not being as useful.

"Hey, don't feel bad, Skitty. You're still my number one!" Lyla exclaimed, scooping her up and cuddling her lovingly. "We just took out two Magma Grunts _by ourselves_! Don't you know how proud I am of you?"

"Myaaa!" Skitty cheered.

Meanwhile, on the research floor, Captain Stern was seated at a work table where he had been examining a volcanic rock of some sort. He had chestnut brown hair that was overall medium length, but a little longer in the front where a large strand fell between his dark brown eyes. He was dressed in a grey suit with a teal green turtleneck under shirt.

"Captain Stern!" the guide shouted as she and Commander Tabitha entered the room.

"What's…going on?" he asked, taking notice of the way Tabitha was holding onto the woman.

"…This man wishes to speak with you, sir. I don't know what he wants, but I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, don't worry. Alright, let the girl go. I'm all ears; what are you looking for?" Captain Stern asked as he rose from his seat.

"You've got what I want right there! And I'll gladly hand her over if you hand _it_ over," Tabitha proposed.

"This? But it's just a sample of volcanic rock we found at the bottom of the ocean. What use is it to you?"

"Don't play with me, _Captain_. We both know that there's something slightly unusual about that rock."

"I don't know how you learned of this discovery considering it hasn't even been publicized yet…but it's not worth someone's well-being. It's all yours! I only ask that you give us just a little more time with it because I'd really like to discover its origins."

"Am I not making myself clear enough, Captain? I want the rock _now_!"

As the commander finished his demand, the Mightyena at his side let out a low growl to emphasize that they meant business. Then the Dark-type's ears suddenly perked up and he turned his head as Aiden and Eziray busted into the room.

"Great…You kids again. Why don't you just mind your own business," Tabitha muttered.

"Do you think we're just gonna sit by idly while you try to bully everyone around and make plans to take over the world? Don't think so!" Eziray challenged.

"Well you're in over your heads, and what's this _take over the world_ crap? We are striving to make it a better place. More than _seventy percent_ of the world is covered by oceans, but if we can somehow expand the land, we could create so many more places for people and Pokémon to live! Can't you see how that would benefit _everyone_?"

"And what about all of the Water-type Pokémon that will lose _their_ homes? Is it better for them too?" Aiden argued.

"So what if some sacrifices need to be made. I guess kids could never understand such an issue, but I promise you that you'll be grateful one day."

"I'm not so sure about that because we're about to _burry_ you!" Eziray exclaimed as she tossed a Pokéball into the air. "Charo, here we go!"

"CHAR!" the Charmander cried as it materialized before Tabitha.

"Combusken, let's help them out," Aiden said as he sent out his Fire-type as well.

"Two against one isn't very fair, although I shouldn't be talking because neither is two against twenty!" Tabitha exclaimed with a sly grin.

Before either of the trainers could react, Magma Grunts began flooding in through the doors around the room. They had broken in through windows and the back entrance, and each was equipped with one Pokéball that contained a Numel, Slugma, or Poochyena. All these Pokémon were released at once while Tabitha turned back to the table to find that Captain Stern had disappeared, along with the volcanic rock.

"Find him!" he ordered to his Mightyena.

"Miiii…" the Dark-type growled as he sniffed the air.

Captain Stern was making his way down the stairs in a desperate attempt to escape through the main entrance. It had been the only path available to him because all the others were crowded by grunts. Before reaching the bottom, he crashed right into Lyla who had begun making her way up to help her friends.

"Are you Captain Stern?"

"ENAAAA!" Tabitha's Mightyena roared from up above.

"There's no time to talk! I've got to go get help!"

"Wait, is that rock what they're after? If you go running out in the open with it, they could intercept it…"

"…You're right. You take it."

"Me? But–"

Before she could finish, Captain Stern quickly shoved the stone into her bag and rushed down the stairs once more. Lyla stared after him for a moment, trying to take in what had just happened. When she turned her head back, Tabitha's Mightyena stood before her, staring her down as if he would tear her to pieces. Skitty began growling too, stepping in front of her trainer to protect her. The Mightyena crept past them slowly and stared into their eyes, provoking such an intense fear that they couldn't help but cower. He didn't attack them, however, because they weren't his target. His target was currently headed towards the front door, and he couldn't let him reach it.

"Almost there!" Captain Stern exclaimed as he hurried towards it.

"I don't think so…" Tabitha called.

Captain Stern turned his head and the Mightyena bolted past him, and blocked the door. Then Tabitha appeared at the base of the stairway. He looked around in frustration, wondering where the hostages had gone and how the two grunts could have been taken down by a single insolent trainer.

"We have other matters to tend to, Stern. Please just give me what I want and we will be on our way."

"I can't give it to you now…"

"And why is that?"

"I don't have it anymore."

"Then who does?"

* * *

><p>"Do you think we'll be safe in here, guys?" Lyla asked as she paced back and forth in what appeared to be the staff's lounge.<p>

Skitty and Eevee were seated on a red sofa, completely alert and Mudkip was trying to figure out how to get into the water dispenser.

"I mean a few grunts…Yeah, we can handle that. A commander? Not so sure about that one!"

"Mya," Skitty meowed in an attempt to comfort her trainer.

"Mudkip…Use Ice Beam on the doors."

Mudkip gave up on his strange task and bounced over to each of the two doors, icing down the edges to keep anyone from getting in. Lyla took in a deep breath and sat down on the couch, holding the other two tightly as Mudkip scampered back and wiggled into her arms as well.

"All this over a rock?" Lyla asked herself as she held up the volcanic rock to examine it.

Suddenly, she let out a gasp and dropped the rock onto the floor. It had gotten hot, very hot, and she had no idea how that could even be possible. It had been stone cold only a minute ago.

"Mud…" Mudkip trailed off, staring curiously at the rock as he opened his mouth.

"Mudkip, no!"

As usual, Mudkip acted without taking notice of his trainer's plea and doused the rock with a quick squirt of Water Gun, creating a cloud of smoke that drifted around the four and began choking them.

"Damnit," Lyla coughed as she covered her mouth and her nose with her hand.

"Ee-vui!" Eevee exclaimed as she hopped onto the floor and ran in circles with Quick Attack to disperse the smoke.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"Great," Lyla thought to herself. "They heard us…"

"Yeah, there's someone in there!"

"But the door's stuck…HEY YOU IN THERE!"

"We better let Commander Tabitha know about this…"

"Too bad we won't be here when he gets here," Lyla said to herself as she noticed an air vent above them. "But first, we gotta figure out how to carry this rock without burning ourselves…that'll do!"

She stood and headed towards the microwave where an oven mitt was hanging, brought it back to the sofa with her, and shoved the rock inside it. Then she ordered Eevee to use Double Team and form a ladder up to the opening so she could climb up and remove the cover. Once inside, she called back Eevee and Mudkip to their Pokéballs and pulled Skitty out of her bag which she had used to carry the Kitten Pokémon up with her.

"I think they're coming back Skitty," she whispered as she carefully put the cover back into place. "Be quiet…"

As they were just about to head off, the door of the lounge was broken right off its hinges and a Mightyena charged into the room with Tabitha right behind him. The two looked around as if they didn't understand and then the Magma Commander turned to a grunt at the doorway.

"Did you _really _hear someone in here?"

"I promise you I did, sir!"

Lyla grew uneasy as she noticed the Mightyena sniffing around and she held her breath, praying that it wouldn't notice them there. As soon as his nose hit the couch, he let out a low growl and looked around with eyes full of suspicion.

"See someone was there!" the grunt existed.

"Well I guess they just picked themselves up and floated right through a wall because there's no one here now. Come on…"

Lyla let out an enormous sigh of relief as soon as she heard the door slam behind them, and then she and Skitty began their search for some sort of exit. It wasn't long before they were just above the room where Aiden and Eziray were still engaged in a massive battle with a small army of riled up Magma grunts.

"Well they seem to be handling themselves, but we've gotta get this rock to safety. Come on," Lyla whispered as she began to crawl away. Skitty pranced along silently but as soon as they wandered into the next room, the old vent gave out just beneath them and they both came crashing to the floor.

"Is it _that_ hard to tighten those screws every once in a while?" Lyla moaned as Skitty struggled to crawl out from beneath her. "I mean that could have really hurt someone standing underneath it. Not to mention, I bet it made a ton of noi–HI THERE!"

In the middle of her ramble, she had looked up and noticed Tabitha standing over her, arms crossed and aggressive as ever. His Mightyena was sitting obediently at his side, awaiting orders.

"Hi there…Please tell me, because I'm a little in the dark here, is there any particular reason why you were crawling around up there?"

"You mean to tell me that you've never crawled around in an air vent before? It's _great_ exercise, I mean really great. It's like a full body work out and–"

"In a museum…"

"I'm really passionate about the ocean."

"Quit playing games, Captain Stern told me about your little meeting between the first and second floor. Just hand over the rock and–"

"Okay!" Lyla exclaimed joyfully, holding out the oven mitt. "It's in there."

"…Um…thanks…" he trailed off, a little thrown off by how cooperative she was being.

"Mhm!"

Tabitha reached into the oven mitt and pulled out the rock with a faint smile. Then he got onto his radio and told all the grunts that it was time to head out. Before leaving, he looked Lyla over curiously and then he hesitated for a moment as if something very bizarre had suddenly crossed his mind. However, his expression vanished just as quickly as it came and he walked away.

"Holy shit…" Lyla trailed off, letting out a huge breath of air once he was gone.

She stood up shakily and tried to pull her heart out of her stomach as Aiden, Eziray, and Captain Stern came rushing into the room. Captain Stern looked both disappointed and relieved at the same time but her friends demanded to know what happened.

"It's alright…You three did your best. I'm glad nothing bad happened to any of you. Although it would have been nice to research that rock a bit more…"

"Who says you can't?" Lyla said, tossing him a fragment about two thirds smaller than the volcanic rock he had given her to begin with.

"What's this?"

"The rock broke with the little spill I took. This smaller piece bounced out of what I was carrying it in and I kept it out of sight. You could still make due with just a sample of the rock, can't you?"

"Brilliant!" Captain Stern exclaimed as he held it up to examine it. "You have no idea how thankful we are for this…I don't feel right even asking, but perhaps you could do us just one more favor?"

* * *

><p>"What is it?" Eziray asked curiously.<p>

The four stood before a large pedestal with some sort of crystalized rock at the top of it. Captain Stern approached it and lifted the object from its place.

"Another rock obviously. A very pretty, shiny rock…" Lyla trailed off.

"We found this in a sunken vessel at the bottom of the sea but it doesn't seem to have originated anywhere near the ocean so it's not of much use to us. However, I am in contact with a scientist who goes by Professor Cosmo and I think it might be more useful to _his_ research. I've sent him samples of it and, well, this crystal doesn't seem to be of this world…"

"What do you mean?" Lyla asked, cocking her head.

"It means it's from space!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Maybe…Could you three possibly take it to him in Fallarbor Town? I've been much too busy with my research to take it to him and I'm really worried about these two gangs that are becoming more and more troublesome in Hoenn. You three seem to be able to hold your own though, and you're clever too."

As the four worked out the details, two shady characters stood outside the museum having a discussion of their own. It was Commander Shelly of Team Aqua and an Aqua Grunt, both disguised by black cloaks with hoods.

"Team Magma beat us to the punch. No doubt that they took the same thing we were after…" Shelly trailed off.

"Maybe they failed? We shouldn't call off our mission just yet…"

"You don't know anything do you? If they hadn't found their target, they would have burnt this place down to the ground looking for it…literally. There's no use going in there now. It's not like we needed that stupid rock anyway; it's not going to help us achieve our goal. It's a piece of a completely different puzzle. But the harder we make it for them to solve that puzzle, the slower it'll take them to complete it. That was the only purpose of this mission…to buy us more time. We have to achieve our dream before they can achieve theirs. We _cannot_ fail at that…"

"Someone's coming…"

"Don't worry about it. It's about time we get going anyway."

As Lyla, Aiden and Eziray exited the building, the two Aqua members disappeared into trees to the right of the museum and their movement caught Eziray's attention so she turned her head to scan the area.

"Something wrong?" Aiden asked.

"I thought I saw something…"

"Maybe it was just a Zigzagoon or something," Lyla suggested, as she searched.

"I'm just on edge maybe…Olivia said that Team _Aqua_ was going to show up. I can't help but believe that this isn't over quite yet."

"Well, if Team Aqua does show, Magma's already beat them to the rock and we've got this crystal thing so I don't think there's anything left to steal," Aiden said with a slight chuckle.

"Except the little fragment maybe, but that'd be easy to hide," Lyla said as the three started walking again. "I'm sure they'd believe Captain Stern if he told them that Team Magma already took it. I mean did you see that mess I made near the entrance?"

"What would they want with these rocks anyway? How could a rock have anything to do with expanding the land or ocean?" Eziray wondered out loud.

"Maybe, they're looking for where the rock originated…" Aiden suggested.

The three were silent for a while as they thought about it. They eventually came across an empty dirt lot and Lyla paused to look it over.

"Hey, I'll meet up with you two later. I think we're going to practice a bit more for the contest," she said.

"Good idea!" Eziray exclaimed.

"See you later then I guess," Aiden said with a smile.

When the two had walked away, Lyla sent out Eevee and began practicing their preliminary appeal. As she watched Eevee perform, images of what Team Magma had done to her as a child began flashing through her mind: when the two grunts waltzed into the shop, the chills that crept down her spine when she was told to wait in the back room, how helpless she felt when the men began attacking her mother, and how the fear made her so sick to her stomach when one of the grunts lifted her from the ground and threatened her. She regretted not fighting back and she regretted not even trying to save her mother that day. She swore, however, to swallow her fear and stand up to the two teams no matter what. She was going to do everything in her power to prevent them from destroying anymore lives.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>So Ashton concludes the main contest rivals and he's a complete diva. He's also the person Selena was talking to back in chapter 13. As for the Oceanic Museum, the exhibits I mentioned are directly from the games. I tried not to make the scene too much like the anime though, but it was similar in that Team Magma was after a volcanic rock and it breaks in half at the end. Team Aqua, however, was not involved at all in the anime and neither was this crystalized rock at the end. I hope you enjoyed it! Please be sure to leave a review.


	21. Ch 21 Watch Out For That Shiftry

**Chapter 21: Watch Out For That Shiftry**

"Welcome everyone! The Slateport City Pokémon Contest is about to begin! Take your seats while I introduce the three individuals who will be judging the performances you are about to witness tonight. First, we have Raoul Contesta, the director of the Pokémon Contest Committee!"

"Good evening everyone!" Contesta exclaimed.

"Next, we have Mr. Sukizo from the Pokémon Enthusiast's Fan Club!"

"I hope you're all as excited to be here as I am," Mr. Sukizo said.

"And finally, we have Slateport City's very own Nurse Joy!"

"It's honor to be here!" Nurse Joy declared cheerfully.

"I'm your host, Vivian, and it is my pleasure to announce that we will now begin the preliminary appeals. First up on the stage are Robin from Dewford Town and her Mareep!"

"Good luck!" Lyla exclaimed as Robin rose to leave the waiting room.

"Thanks, you too!"

"Nervous?" Eziray asked.

"Just a little," Lyla admitted.

"Ee-VEEEE!" Eevee demanded, puffing out her chest.

"Looks like someone's telling you to shape up. Don't worry, Lyla, you'll do great!" Eziray insisted.

"You and Eevee have been working so hard. Tonight should definitely be rewarding," Aiden added.

"You're right," Lyla said, taking a deep breath and looking up at TV screen above them.

"Mareep, it's time for you to shine!" Robin exclaimed, sending out her Electric-type.

"This should be good!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Let's start things off with Shock Wave!"

"Maaah!" Mareep exclaimed as the orb on her tail lit up.

She then drove her tail forward, releasing a rather large wave of dazzling blue electricity that zigzagged and crackled like firecrackers along the ground as circled around the stage.

"Beautiful!" Vivian praised.

"Great job Mareep! Now let's continue with Thunder Shock!"

"REEEEP!" the Wool Pokémon bellowed as she let off a blast of yellow electricity.

"Just a little more power," Robin insisted.

As Mareep let off even more electricity, the sparks began snapping against each other, creating small explosions throughout the discharge. The crowd went wild as Nurse Joy spoke.

"It looks like this is turning into quite a fireworks show!" she exclaimed.

"And every fireworks show ends in a grand finale!" Vivian added as Mareep released a Cotton Spore just before she ceased the Thunder Shock so that they could absorb some of that electricity.

It was quiet for a moment, as the audience sat in anticipation for the next move; only the soft popping of electrically charged cotton spores could be heard. Suddenly, a large bolt of Thunder struck down from the sky, providing just enough electricity to set the balls of wool off in magnificent explosions.

"Excellent!" Contesta praised. "The best fireworks show I've seen in a long time!"

"Simply remarkable," Mr. Sukizo added as he watched in awe.

"A lovely appeal from a very lovely Mareep!" Nurse Joy concluded.

Robin and Mareep curtsied as Vivian called another coordinator onto the stage.

"Who performs in a contest dressed like that?" Ashton commented as Robin raced by him to sit with Lyla.

"Jealous, are we?" Robin replied calmly.

"Honey, please. I've been doing contests since before you were born. Go take a seat before you embarrass yourself. I don't understand why none of you Hoenn coordinators dress up for contests. All I can say is that Hoenn contests are so…primitive," Ashton said with a sigh. "At least Lyla's boots are cute…"

"They are, aren't they?" Lyla said as she raised her legs to admire them.

"Ee-vui," Eevee muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Eevee's right. Contests are all about the _Pokémon_. Dressing up would just take away from _their _appeal," Lyla said, scooping Eevee up into her arms.

"Forget the boots," Ashton said, making his way over to them. "That Eevee is just to die for. I had no idea they came in white!"

"You're talking about her as if she was a fur coat or something," Lyla said, holding Eevee away from him.

"Mya!" Skitty agreed.

"And is this your Skitty too? She's positively purrrrfect," he said, rolling his tongue.

"Um, thanks?" Lyla said.

"Well your Pokémon are lookin' good so you're obviously raising them well, but I'm still curious to see how you perform…"

As he trailed off, Mudkip suddenly popped out of his Pokéball to say hello.

"A Mudkip. Well don't you have a menacing air about you?"

"Muuuud!" the Mud Fish Pokémon exclaimed as he blasted Ashton in the face with Water Gun.

"You little–"

Before he finished his statement, Mudkip silenced him with another Water Gun.

"Sorry about that," Lyla said as she called him back to his ball and looked up at the TV screen with a smug grin. "I have no idea what's gotten into him today."

The following appeals were absolutely spectacular, in Lyla's opinion anyway. With each appeal, she grew more and more nervous. By the time it was her turn, she was quite literally quaking in her boots. Eevee tried to snap her out of it but was silenced by being returned to her ball.

"Next up, we have Lyla from Lavaridge Town and her Eevee!"

"Eevee, come on out!" Lyla exclaimed as she stepped onto the stage and tossed Eevee's dazzling Pokéball into the air.

"Ee-vui!" Eevee exclaimed, landing gracefully on the platform and shaking her body to fluff out her magnificent coat.

"Yeah, but it's going to take more than a fancy Pokéball and fancy dye job to win this contest," Ashton commented.

"Believe it or not, she was born that way," Aiden replied.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be a stunning appeal! Did you all see that Pokéball? I think it was embroidered with diamonds!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Alright Eevee, use Quick Attack!"

Eevee gave a nod and then shot forward, zigzagging around at the speed of light.

"That's fast!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Now, keep it up and use Swift!"

As Eevee continued to race around, a line of bright stars began to trail behind her. As she completed her round, the trail connected to outline the shape that she was running in – an enormous star.

"What a beautiful way to combine two very simple moves," Nurse Joy praised.

"Good job Eevee, now use Double Team!"

As Eevee began to slow, she left behind four clones that raced around just fast enough to keep the star spinning. Then with one quick thrust of their tails, they sent it flying up into the air. Everyone watched as it spun around and around and rose up towards the night sky above.

"She is _so_ lucky that they decided to open the sun roof tonight!" Ashton grunted, crossing his arms.

"Alright, now finish up with one more Swift!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Ee-VUI!" the Eevee exclaimed as they each launched up a final blast of Swift that shattered the large star on impact.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed as the shiny fragments rained down over the stadium.

"We did it," Lyla said with a sigh of relief. "Now please let it be good enough."

"Boring," Ashton commented as the two passed each other in the hallway. "Get back quick now if you want to see a _real_ performance, darling."

"You're up?" Lyla asked as she picked up her pace a little bit.

"For our final performance, we have Ashton from Hearthome City of the Sinnoh region and his Shiftry!" Vivian announced.

"Let's give them a show they'll never forget, Shiftry!" Ashton exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball up into the air.

"Shift!" Shiftry exclaimed, forming an X with his arms so that his face rested between his two palm leaves.

"Let's start things off with a Razor Leaf-Razor Wind combo!"

The Shiftry nodded and began flapping his arms in many directions, creating a gusty tornado around himself. Within that gust, dozens of leaves began to swirl around as well, and not a single one touched the ground.

"Great, now let's make it nice and pretty by adding a little Synthesis into the mix!"

A shimmering green energy began emitting from Shiftry's body and the crowd watched in awe as Shifty's entire body sparkled, along with the leaves that the light was reflecting off of.

"And there we have it folks, Shiftry's specialty – Razor Wind, but with a little more pizazz I must say!"

"Treee," Shiftry said. Then he threw out his arms, creating two crescent-shaped gusts of wind that sliced through the leaves and gracefully counterbalanced the vortex as he took a bow.

"And what a fantastic finale to a magnificent round of appeals! The judges had a tough time deciding scores for this contest; all the of coordinators' Pokémon were simply superb!" Vivian announced as Ashton returned to the waiting room.

"So he's not all bark after all," Lyla thought to herself. "That appeal scored him a Twenty seven which blows my twenty four and a half out of the water. I bet that Shiftry's gonna be hard to defeat…if we even make it to the next round that is…"

"Without further ado, we will now announce the eight coordinators who will be moving on to the next round! Here they are, in order of how high they scored!" Vivian announced.

Lyla watched the board in anticipation as faces appeared one-by-one, starting with Robin, then Ashton, and then three other coordinators.

"They both made it," Lyla thought to herself as the faces appeared on the screen. "Only three more, did we make it?"

"YAY, LYLA!" Eziray exclaimed as Lyla's image appeared.

"And you even improved since your last contest," Olivia began. "I mean second to last is better than dead last!"

"Who let you in here?" Lyla muttered.

"I followed you guys…"

"Of course, but at least she's been quiet until now," Lyla thought to herself with a sigh.

"We will now scramble up the names to decide who will be battling who in the next round!" Vivian exclaimed as the images on the screen began to jumble around.

First up were two coordinators that Lyla hadn't really met. Both were male but one had a Duskull and the other had a Nidorina. Lyla didn't pay much attention because she was trying to calm her nerves, but she was a little relieved that she didn't have to battle Ashton right away. Neither she, Robin nor Ashton had been paired up with one another yet, but she knew she'd have to battle at least one of them eventually. The buzzer went off as Lyla was lost in her thoughts and she looked up to see that the coordinator with the Duskull had won, and Robin was up next.

"We've got this!" Robin exclaimed as she exited the room.

She was up against a female coordinator and her Baltoy, but in spite of the type disadvantage, Robin arose victorious by a long shot. Mareep was simply too stunning. Lyla was up next, and her opponent was a female coordinator with a Gulpin.

"Alright, Eevee, let's start things off with Swift!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Counter it with Pound!" the other coordinator ordered as Eevee released a flurry of bright, star-shaped disks with her tail.

Using the yellow appendage on its head, the Gulpin manage to whack each and every star up above it.

"Now use Sludge Bomb!"

"Guuuuuuulp!" the Gulpin shouted as is spat dozens of toxic blobs at the stars, causing them to explode.

"Not only did Gulpin's Sludge Bomb cancel out the Swift, but the collision of the two is making him look great! That's going to cost Lyla some major points," Vivian exclaimed.

"Eevee, try a Tackle!"

Eevee charged forward with all her might and the other coordinator ordered yet another Sludge Bomb attack.

"You can dodge those easy with Quick Attack!"

To show off her breakneck speed, Eevee weaved herself between the flying globs and continued on towards Gulpin.

"Poison Gas!"

Just as Eevee came into range, Gulpin coughed up a cloud of noxious, purple air which forced her to stop in her tracks.

"Not good," Eziray said as Eevee stood there coughing.

"I think she'll pull through," Aiden replied with a grin.

"Get out of there, Eevee! Use Dig!"

Eevee quickly burrowed into the ground, but a lot of the gas seemed to drift down into the hole with her.

"_That's_ really not good! She'll suffocate down there!" Eziray gasped.

"What on Earth does Selena see in this one?" Ashton commented. "I mean she's not even entertaining to watch!"

As if she had heard him, Lyla suddenly ordered Eevee to come out with a Swift attack, and Eevee immediately rocketed out of the ground with a flashy trail of yellow and purple stars. The crowd went wild as this extra power allowed her to send Gulpin flying.

"Vui!" Eevee exclaimed as she landed gracefully before her trainer.

"What was that?" Aiden asked with a wide grin.

"So she's got one cool trick in her bag," Ashton muttered. "She's lucky that Poison Gas followed Eevee down into the hole too…"

"I think someone's just jealous that Selena's interested in someone else," Robin giggled.

"Now Eevee, use Double Team and then a gang Quick Attack!"

Eevee took off running, multiplying by five, as she whizzed toward their opponent.

"Swallow!"

"What?" Lyla asked as the Gulpin opened its mouth and seemed to expand more than three times its size.

The Eevee clones darted right into its mouth, canceling out as soon as they went inside. The real Eevee tried her best to put on the breaks, but skidded right into Gulpin's mouth in spite of her efforts. Then the Gulpin closed its mouth to trap her.

"Ew…" Olivia trailed off.

"Poor Eevee," Eziray murmured.

"Well, I think that Gulpin's got this in the bag…or in the stomach anyway," Ashton said with an obnoxious chuckle as he headed for the door in anticipation of his turn.

"Alright Gulpin, lets finish this up by suffocating that Eevee with an inescapable Poison Gas!"

"Inescapable my ass…Eevee, use Swift!"

Before Gulpin had a chance to follow orders, he began expanding like a bag of popcorn as Eevee filled him up with her Swift attack. It wasn't long before his mouth burst open, releasing quite a spectacle as all of the stars came spewing out. Eevee somersaulted out right in the middle of it and multiplied by ten in midair.

"Now dig into the ground!"

Eevee and her clones hit the ground and immediately burrowed into it for a gang Dig attack. The Gulpin couldn't do a thing as he was launched every which way by the Eevee clones popping out of the ground. As he flew through the air, the real Eevee popped out and finished him off by driving him into the ground with her tail.

"And this is only her second real contest," Eziray said with a triumphant smirk as she looked up at Ashton.

"I don't believe it…" Ashton trailed off.

"Gulpin is unable to battle!" Vivian announced as a loud buzzer went off. "Which means Lyla and Eevee are headed to the semi-finals!"

"Not so bad for a rookie, but I'm still going to put you in your newbie place," Ashton said as he passed Lyla in the hallway.

"We'll see," Lyla said with newfound confidence; even a comment like that had no effect on how joyful she was at the moment.

Her confidence quickly faded, however, as she watched Ashton take down his opponent's Swellow with nearly half the time to spare. She wasn't sure if Eevee would have enough power to take out that Shiftry; they would have to outsmart him if they were going to win the semi-finals round.

"Congratulations to the four coordinators who have made it to the semi-finals!" Vivian announced. "Can we have Robin and Dennis on the stage?"

"Hey, you looked great out there by the way," Robin complimented as she stood to leave. "Don't you dare let that Ashton tell you otherwise."

"Eevee, I'm so proud of you!" Lyla exclaimed, hugging Eevee tightly.

"Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off as Eevee stuck her tongue out at the Kitten Pokémon.

"We did look pretty amazing, didn't we?" Lyla asked happily.

"I think you really have a shot at this one," Aiden confirmed as Robin and the other coordinator sent out their Pokémon.

"Lyla, you're going to leave with your very first ribbon today! I can feel it," Eziray exclaimed.

"But if I don't, I just hope that she does…" Lyla trailed off, looking up at the screen.

"Mareep, use Shock Wave!"

"Mah-ree," Mareep said as she aimed the tip of her tail towards the Duskull floating ahead and fired a zigzag-shaped wave of blue electricity.

"Use Psychic, Duskull!"

The Duskull threw up its arms and its entire body began to glow blue as the Shock Wave slowed and whipped back around towards Mareep.

"Look at that!" Vivian exclaimed. "Duskull has complete control over that Shock Wave!"

"Mareep, use Light Screen, quick!"

Before the redirected move had a chance to hit, Mareep suddenly became surrounded by a cube of bright yellow energy the deflected much of the attack.

"But some quick thinking saved Robin a handful of points! Can't say the same for Dennis though, look at them drop!" Vivian announced.

"No matter, try avoiding this one. Duskull, use Shadow Ball!"

The Duskull put its hands together and a dark purple orb began to form between them. Once it was large enough, it aimed it at Mareep and released.

"Dodge it Mareep!"

"Psychic!"

Mareep rushed out of the way of the Shadow Ball but it suddenly turned and followed her. No matter what she did, she couldn't shake it and it chased her all around the stage, closing in on her by the second.

"Give it a Shock Wave!"

"Mah!" Mareep exclaimed, blasting the Shadow Ball with a Shock Wave.

"Beautiful!" Lyla exclaimed as the camera zoomed in on the shimmering bits of the Shadow Ball's leftover energy that rained down over Mareep.

"Well, let's see if you can hit more than one at once. Keep those Shadow Balls coming, Duskull!"

This time, more than a dozen Shadow Balls were headed her way, so Mareep braced herself as she awaited orders.

"Shock Wave's a little too precise to take care of those, so blast them all with a Thunder Shock!"

"She's got a way to counter _everything_!" Lyla exclaimed. "Electric-types have such an advantage in contests!"

"I wonder if she's ever considered gym battles," Eziray pondered out loud.

"Alright Mareep, it's time for that specialty of yours. Use Cotton Spore!"

"He has no idea what's coming!" Lyla exclaimed as balls of wool filled the stadium.

"Dusk…" Duskull trailed off as they clung to him, making it difficult to move around.

"Wow, that's slightly inconvenient…but come on! Most of our moves are long range. You can't stop us with that. Duskull, use Night Shade!"

Duskull became surrounded by a black energy that shadowed its entire body; only its glowing red eye could be seen amongst it. And from that eye, a red beam bordered by this black energy shot forward, blasting Mareep into a wall.

"Good job, now use Disable!"

As Mareep struggled to stand back up, she suddenly found herself completely paralyzed.

"Things aren't looking so good for these two anymore. Will this setback be enough to turn the match?" Vivian commented.

"Come on Robin!" Lyla and Eziray exclaimed in unison.

"While she can't move, Duskull, fire another Night Shade!"

"Thunder!"

Mareep focused as the Duskull charged up its dark energy once more.

"This is so intense!" Lyla exclaimed, standing up to be as close to the screen as possible.

"Get down, newbie…" Ashton muttered.

To Lyla's delight, a massive bolt of electricity came down before Duskull could release its attack. It managed to avoid the attack, however, but this allowed Mareep to break free of its grip and use Thunder Shock to charge the balls of wool that were still floating about.

"Dusk!" the Duskull uttered, finally releasing the Night Shade that it had been preparing.

"Shock Wave!"

As the beam neared, Mareep quickly countered it with a Shock Wave and the two moves pushed against each other until they neutralized.

"Looks like they're evenly matched in pow–OUCH!" Vivian exclaimed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Goodness gracious, great balls of static! Don't touch them, folks. They're quite electrifying!"

"Let's try a Shadow Ball now, Duskull!"

As Duskull raised its arms to form another Shadow Ball, its elbow brushed against a floating ball of charged wool, giving it a painful zap. It flinched, causing it to bump into another piece of charged wool.

"Sit still, Duskull!"

"Not half bad, actually…" Ashton trailed off. "If only Selena was watching _this one_. She's got some serious potential because she's pretty clever."

"This is quite the trap that Robin has concocted, and there's not much time left. Will Dennis manage to pull through?"

"Come on, Duskull!"

It was no use, Duskull couldn't move an inch without brushing against one of those charged up balls of wool and Dennis' points slowly dropped until time ran out and Robin was declared victorious.

"ALRIGHT, ROBIN!" Lyla cheered.

"MEEYAH!" Skitty added.

"I'd calm down if I were you. We're about to tango," Ashton said with a wink as he walked by them.

"You ready, Eevee?" Lyla asked, getting pumped up.

"Vee!" Eevee exclaimed with a nod as Lyla called her back to her ball.

"The winner of the next battle will determine who moves on to the finals with Robin to fight for that Slateport Ribbon! Can we have Lyla and Ashton on the stage?"

"Eevee, come on out!"

"Shiftry, do your thing!"

Both Pokémon materialized on the stage and stared each other down.

"Vee!" Eevee challenged. There was no way she was going to let this ugly thing stand in the way of her victory.

"Ignore the little squirt and give her a blast of your Bullet Seed!"

"Quick Attack, Eevee!"

As tiny, explosive seeds began shooting from Shiftry's mouth, Eevee weaved around them with ease and continued on to do some damage.

"As if we'd let you hit us with something so basic. Razor Wind!"

With a single flap of one of its palm leaves, Shiftry created a crescent-shaped blast of wind that knocked Eevee off balance and gave her a pretty gnarly gash across the two front legs.

"Eevee, no!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Now let's try that Bullet Seed again!"

"Stand up, Eevee!" Lyla shouted as the attack neared.

"Ee…" Eevee managed, opening her eyes and noticing the incoming Bullet Seed. "Vee!"

With a quick shove, she rolled over and the seeds whizzed right past her, exploding against the wall.

"That wound across her two front legs is going to cut down her speed tremendously," Nurse Joy said. "If any trainer came into my Pokémon Center with that wound, I'd tell them to keep their Pokémon off their feet for several days."

"Could this battle be over before we reach the four minute mark?"

"Eevee…" Lyla trailed off, unsure of whether or not to continue or throw the match.

"VEEEE!" Eevee bellowed as she stood up and awaited orders.

"Right! We're not giving in just yet, use Dig!"

Eevee nodded and quickly burrowed into the ground. Ashton sighed with a smile and Shiftry walked over to peer down into the hole.

"I must say that I do admire your spirit, but silly disappearing acts aren't enough to fool us. Bullet Seed!"

Shiftry opened its mouth and fired a quick round of Bullet Seed straight into the hole and Eevee popped out several feet away, holding onto her rear with her front paws as she was pelted from below.

"That's was actually pretty funny," Olivia said.

"Now it wasn't, Eevee looks thrashed! That's not funny at all," Eziray said as the camera zoomed in on Eevee's battered body.

"Eevee, what do we do…" Lyla trailed off.

"Your points are withering away to nothing while mine are barely touched. Go ahead and catch your breath, darling. We'll wait nice and patiently," Ashton mocked.

"Bad move! Eevee, use Swift!"

"Fine, don't use that time to figure out something more practical. Shiftry, use Synthesis!"

As the Swift began to bombard Shiftry, he raised his arms like an elegant dancer and began to glow a shimmering shade of green. As the stars smashed against him, they sparked brilliantly amongst the twinkling of Synthesis.

"That made him look even better…Wait a minute. We haven't tried Double Team yet!" Lyla exclaimed.

Eevee took the hint and multiplied into three. Then Lyla ordered only the real one to use Dig. While she did that, the two fakes darted forward and Shiftry brought up both arms to block each of them. While he was holding them off, the real one came up from underneath him and sent him up into the air a few feet.

"Looks like there's hope for them yet! Lyla's really going to have to put more wits like that into this match if she wants to win!"

"Back in the ground!" Lyla ordered as the two clones vanished.

"That was pretty strategic there, but did you forget about our Bullet Seed?"

Shiftry waltzed over and fired another array of Bullet Seed into the hole Eevee had just dug up. But this time, the seeds flew right out of the hole behind him and into straight into his rear.

"TREEE!" he sobbed as the seeds drove him about a foot off the ground.

"That's not going to work now. Eevee's got a little system of tunnels down there, and there's no way for you to know which path those seeds will take," Lyla explained with a grin. "Eevee, come on back out with Double Team!"

Shiftry looked around desperately, wondering where Eevee would pop up. Suddenly a mass of Eevee exploded out of the ground right under him and tackled him all at once.

"She's a natural!" Robin exclaimed.

"And that just goes to show you," Vivian began. "Brains will always triumph!"

"Vivian, baby, you know I love ya, but I can't really agree with that statement," Ashton began.

"Oh?" Vivian said with slight discomfort.

"Quit acting like such a hotshot. You sound like an ass," Lyla muttered.

"Even the most intelligent coordinator in the world couldn't get themself out of this one. Shiftry, let's see that Razor Wind-Razor Leaf combo!"

With two sweeps of his fans, Shiftry destroyed the Eevee clones that stood before him. Then he began to whip up a nasty vortex of wind and leaves around the real one. Eevee was completely trapped as the wind and Razor Leaves sliced her all up.

"Eevee!" Lyla cried.

"Finish it up with a magnificent Bullet Seed!"

As the timer buzzed out, Eevee was blasted back to her trainers feet with one final explosion of Bullet Seeds.

"Eevee!" Lyla cried once more as she bent down to cradle her Pokémon.

"Vui…" Eevee managed.

"And Ashton wins!" Vivian announced as the crowd began to cheer.

"No surprise there. Better luck next time," Ashton said, brushing his hair back.

Lyla gave it her all to fight back her tears of frustration and made her way back to the waiting room with Eevee in her arms.

"Take him down," she choked as she and Robin passed each other in the hallway.

"Lyla…" Aiden trailed off as she entered the room, completely crushed by her defeat.

"You and Eevee were spectacular! You're getting so much better at this, I swear!" Eziray comforted. "Next time–"

"I'm not sure if there will be a next time," Lyla said, taking a seat and pulling some medicine from her bag. "Not for a while anyway. We're just not strong enough.."

"But…"

"We'll talk about it later, Ez. I really want to watch this match," Lyla practically whispered as she applied the medicine to Eevee's wounds.

"Let's see if you can do better than your friend," Ashton said as Robin joined him on the stage and sent out her Mareep.

"The Slateport Ribbon is mine," she shot back with a playful grin.

"We've seen some great coordinators here today folks and not a single person gave us less than their all, but only one coordinator can leave with the prize. This is the battle we've all been waiting to see and I just can't wait to see who pulls out victorious. So let it begin!"

"Alright kiddo, get ready. Shiftry, use Razor Leaf!"

"Dodge it and use Thunder Shock!"

Shiftry released a swarm of Razor Leaf that Mareep managed to evade as she closed in on him. Once she was in range, she gave him a Thunder Shock that didn't appear to have done any damage at all.

"Grass-types are pretty resistant to Electric moves you know," Ashton said with a smile. "You'll need to come up with something else. Shiftry, use Razor Wind!"

Shiftry flapped his fans several times, whipping up four crescent-shaped gusts of wind.

"Counter it with Shock Wave!"

Mareep spun around, waving her tail to create a horizontal wave of blue electricity to cancel out the Razor Wind. The crowd went wild as the wave continued on towards Shiftry.

"And we're off to a very exciting start. The crowd is loving it!" Vivian exclaimed.

"I bet they'll love this! Use Razor Wind to dodge that attack!"

Shiftry flapped its fans once more, but sent the wind into the ground this time. This propelled him up into the sky where he hovered for a moment, balancing on the wind with his palm leaves.

"He's _flying_!" Vivian exclaimed as the Shock Wave faded into nothing below him.

"More like riding the wind," Ashton declared proudly.

"That must have taken a long time to master," Contesta commented. "This is one talented Shiftry."

"And I've got one talented Mareep," Robin said. "Use Thunder!"

The downside to Shiftry's little windsurfing trick was that he couldn't move about freely and the Thunder came right down on him with no problem. It also drove him right into the ground.

"Shiftry, you're smoking!" Ashton exclaimed as Shiftry stood, slightly blackened by the attack.

"Don't stop there, now use Cotton Spore!"

"Darling, what do you take me for?" Ashton asked as the stadium filled with balls of wool. "We saw your battle with the Duskull. We're not falling for that. Get rid of them with Razor Wind!"

Shiftry whipped up a powerful gust that blew the Cotton Spore right out of the stadium, and then Ashton ordered him to follow it up with Bullet Seed.

"Light Screen-Thunder Shock combo!"

As the Bullet Seed came down, a yellow cube surrounded Mareep to protect her. Then she released as much electricity as she possibly could, making the Light Screen sparkle and shine even brighter as the Thunder Shock penetrated it and zapped Shiftry.

"What a magnificent combination!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Maybe so, but how 'bout that one that I used to crush that Lyla girl in the last round? I think I'd like to see it again, Shiftry!"

Shiftry began to whip up a vortex of wind and Razor Leaves around Mareep, but it didn't last too long before Robin messed him up by ordering Mareep to use Thunder once more. Shiftry was so occupied that he didn't have time to dodge it.

"_Darling, _what do you take _me_ for?" Robin mimicked. "We saw your battle with the Eevee. We're not falling for that. Mareep, hit him with a Tackle-Thunder Shock combination!"

Mareep charged forward, sparking with electricity, and rammed right into Shiftry before he had a chance to recuperate.

"You and your little combinations. We can do it too, watch. Shiftry, use Synthesis while defending yourself with Razor Wind!"

"Treeee…" Shiftry trailed off calmly as he regained back his health with Synthesis. Mareep couldn't touch him because he had surrounded _himself_ in a vortex of wind so as to protect himself.

"I've never seen Razor Wind as a shield before!" Nurse Joy commented.

"It's remarkable!"

"Now use Razor Leaf!"

Both attacks ceased as Shiftry began to twirl with his arms clasped together up in the air. He then released a spiraling gust of Razor Leaf that swirled around the Mareep, slicing up the parts of her body that they touched.

"We're running out of time, Mareep! Use Shock Wave!"

Mareep quickly blasted Shiftry with a final Shock Wave just before the clock ran out. Both coordinators had lost a significant amount of points, but Ashton stood with just a few more and was declared the winner.

"Let's go," Lyla said with a frown. "I don't want to be here when he comes in to gloat."

* * *

><p>"Hey…" Eziray said, stepping out onto the balcony of their hotel room.<p>

"Hey…" Lyla replied, looking up at her for a brief moment. Her eyes were dry now but her face was still a little red. She seemed extremely exhausted, as if she hadn't slept in days. She had just been staring into the night sky, watching the stars glimmer above their heads.

"How you feeling?"

"I don't know…"

"Better?"

"Maybe…but I mean…I don't know about contests anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"I mean yeah I'm creative and yeah I understand how to make my Pokémon look great but…I just don't think I have what it takes. It's just not in me…"

"Why? You said it yourself, you look great out there! So you've lost twice. Big deal. You're a beginner! Besides, you won a contest, remember? So what if it wasn't official? That still counts!"

"No it doesn't. I wish I had never entered that contest. It didn't at all prepare me for a _real _contest. All it did was give me false hope."

"Come on, Lyla! You win some, you lose some! I lost to Norman but I kept going! You were up against last year's almost Top Coordinator person in your first official contest and then you ran into some other pretty tough competition in your second! It's just the luck of the draw. I mean there's going to be people who are better than you and you can't let that get you down. You just need some more practice!"

"I don't think practice is going to cut it. I don't have a knack for battling. I can't win contests…I definitely can't battle gyms…hell, I can't even save a little boy from some lowlife gangbanger! I'm so…useless! I mean next to you, and Aiden, and Noah…I mean you are like a battling superstar. It comes so naturally to you, and Aiden and Espeon are so on par with each other. They don't even train and they're still better than me. But what am I? What useful talent do I possess? Nothing. I'm not strong. I'm not smart. I'm not brave. I'm just cute…kinda…and that's the only reason why you and Aiden asked me to come with you. And that's all I'll ever be in this group. We've got…the battle champion, the witty rockstar, and that cute girl who follows them around and thinks she's a coordinator."

"Lyla..." Eziray trailed off as she tried to figure out what to say. "Did I ever tell you that it took me three months to get my very first badge?"

"What?"

"I know how you feel. I had the same thoughts once. But the fact of the matter is that Charo is a Fire-type and Brock's Pokémon were Rock-types. We had a huge disadvantage and for a newbie, that's a pretty tough obstacle to overcome. We finally did it; it took a while, but we did it. Now I specifically train my Pokémon to be strong against Pokémon that they normally have a disadvantage against, but we thought about giving up back then. We never did of course. So maybe contests don't seem like your calling now but just remember that not everyone is born with incredible talent and those who are still have to perfect it. I wouldn't give up just yet if I were you…"

And with that, Eziray patted Lyla on the shoulder and left the room. Lyla thought for a moment and her eyes twinkled slightly. Then she leaned forward and closed them as she reflected about the conversation for a while longer. And eventually, she concluded that she was going to give contests one more shot.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>Sorry if I disappointed you all with another loss on Lyla's part, but I think that a newbie would need a bit more experience before winning their first contest, especially if they're competing with seasoned coordinators. By the way, Eevee's ball is the one that Mudkip gave to Lyla back in chapter 13 in case anyone reading missed that chapter or forgot. I'll be explaining its origins a little later. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter in spite of Lyla's loss; it took a lot out of me!


	22. CH 22 The Guardian of Route 110

**Chapter 22: The Guardian of Route 110**

Two days had gone by since the Slateport City Contest, but the trainers were still stuck in Slateport. Lyla had rushed Eevee to the Pokémon Center immediately when Nurse Joy returned from the contest that night, and Eevee had some pretty serious injuries from her battle with Ashton's Shiftry. Nurse Joy wanted to be sure that they were all healed before the trainers set off for Mauville City because there had been some rumors of some particularly vicious Pokémon who had claimed Route 110 as its territory. Route 110 was the only road to Mauville without a bike so Nurse Joy wasn't taking any chances. She insisted that Lyla leave Eevee at the Pokémon Center until she was well enough to be traveling. Lyla agreed without hesitation and spent those two days working on Skitty and Mudkip with Aiden and Eziray, although she wasn't exactly sure who she would be entering in her next contest, whenever that was. Who knew? Maybe she'd have a completely new addition to her team by then. But for now, it was time to pick up Eevee and hit the road. The three trainers gave Slateport one final goodbye and set off on Route 110.

"Quickly now," Lyla said as she hurried the other two along.

"Between the two of you, getting a full night's sleep on a semi-regular basis is becoming impossible. It's not like we have any place to be so why set off so bright and early?" Aiden asked with a yawn.

"No, Aiden. Lyla is absolutely right! We've spent _much_ too much time in Slateport. We've got to get to Mauville on the double! My next gym badge awaits me," Eziray exclaimed.

"Forget about your badge, Ez," Lyla said, looking around anxiously. "I'm just trying to get us the hell out of dodge before Olivia notices we've left!"

"Mud!" Mudkip whined.

"Where did you come from? Get back in your ball!"

"Kiiiiiip!" he whined even louder and more obnoxiously, running out in front of her to block her path.

"Whaaaaat?" she asked, in the same whiny tone. "Oh wait, I know what you want. Are you still buggin' me about _that_? I still need to think about it, Mudkip…"

As they walked along, Mudkip stayed at Lyla's heels, quietly and obediently. It was probably the most peaceful walk they had ever taken with Mudkip because, if they hadn't known any better, they wouldn't have even noticed he was there. After a while Lyla started giggling and called him out on what he was trying to do.

"Alright, pretty impressive! But fifteen minutes of silence isn't going to sway me, buddy. I know it's your turn to compete in a contest. In fact, I would have loved to enter you back in Slateport. It's just that I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I mean you're definitely strong enough, but you're still a tad too wild for a contest," Lyla explained, trying as hard as she could to break it to him easily without hurting his feelings.

"Hey, I think you need to trust in him a little more," Aiden said. "I mean it looks like he really wants to make you proud. He understands when it's time to be serious. You should give him a chance."

"That little guy packs a lot of power, as well as personality. I think he'd fair well in a contest, Lyla," Eziray added.

"Alright," Lyla began.

"Mud!" Mudkip exclaimed, bouncing up and down with his face full of excitement.

"Hold on now, let me finish. I'll work with you _as if_ I were going to enter you in the next contest, but you better shape up and behave like you were competing in one. Understand?"

Mudkip responded by brushing his entire body against her leg in gratitude. She couldn't help but set Skitty down so she could give the rascally little Mud Fish Pokémon a hug, and he just about knocked her over in the process. She stood up and carried him in her arms for a bit while Skitty bounced alongside them.

"Hey, Lyla, can I see your PokéNav for a minute?" Aiden asked as they walked along.

"Sure thing!" she exclaimed.

"I'm really glad you haven't decided to give up on contests," Eziray began. "I don't know much about them, but I do know that you've got all the pros talking about you. That's gotta mean something right?"

"Looks like she's this year's number one rookie coordinator," Aiden said as he concentrated on the device in his hands.

"Oh, stop it guys! Ashton just likes to gossip about everyone, obviously. I mean I haven't even won anything yet," Lyla replied.

"Well, you know what they say. The third time's a charm!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Hey, Ez!" Aiden began. "The Mauville City Gym Leader goes by the name Watson and he uses Electric-type Pokémon…I guess they're pretty abundant in this area."

"Electric-types, huh?" Lyla and Eziray said in unison as they thought deeply for a moment.

"I think an Electric-type would be a perfect addition to my little team of performers!" Lyla exclaimed, thinking back to her most recent contest. "Robin and Mareep gave me so much inspiration. I would _love_ to compete with an Electric Pokémon in an upcoming contest!"

"Mud!" Mudkip objected, jumping out of her arms angrily.

"Don't worry! You're still next in line," Lyla assured.

She'd given him the right answer apparently because he hesitated and then swallowed the mouthful of water that he had prepared to blast her away with.

"I think...I'll use Speedy for sure…But I can't decide between Baby, Charo, and Gracie! I don't really have a disadvantage with any of them!" Eziray exclaimed in an attempt to plan out her gym battle.

"Are you going to challenge him _today_?" Lyla asked curiously.

"If I can…Aiden, how long is the walk to Mauville?"

"About two days," he replied, crushing her spirits.

"Are you kidding me?" Eziray replied.

"We've got to cross over those mountains up ahead. Luckily, there's a Pokémon Center just at the bottom. We could rest there for the night and then pick up again in the morning. If we're quick, we'll get there sometime after nightfall tomorrow," Aiden explained.

"Which means your gym battle's gotta wait until the next morning," Lyla concluded.

"At least it gives you time to pick out who you're going to battle with!" Aiden exclaimed with a chuckle.

"This sucks," Eziray muttered.

"Hey, come on now. Traveling's the best part of this adventure!" Lyla reasoned.

"I suppose you're right!"

It took several hours for the trainers to arrive at the foothills of the mountains that they had to cut through and they were pretty worn out as it was because they hadn't really hiked much since they had arrived in Rustboro City – it had all been smooth sailing from there, literally. The three took a break at the base of the mountain, wondering how on Earth they were going to make it over in one piece. It was all uphill now.

"I had no idea I was so out of shape," Eziray panted.

"I wasn't really in shape to begin with," Lyla added, taking out a water canteen.

"Come on, that was nothing," Aiden said with a grin.

"Uh oh…" Lyla murmured softly, tipping her canteen upside down.

"How are you not at all tired?" Eziray asked, sending out her Pokémon for a breather.

"Hey, guys? You'll never guess what I forgot to do…" Lyla trailed off.

"Can you pass me some of that water?" Eziray asked, paying no attention.

"Well, that's the thing. There is no water…"

"Are you serious? How are we going to get up over the mountain without water?" Eziray asked.

"Well, we do have Mudkip…"

"That's like drinking spit…"

"I'm sure there's a stream or something around here…Espeon, Combusken, come on out and find us one!" Aiden exclaimed, tossing two Pokéballs in the air.

Aiden slung the straps of the three canteens over Espeon's shoulder and she took off with Combusken in search of a water source to refill them. While the three trainers waited, Eziray gave more thought to who she would use in the next gym battle as Aiden fiddled with the PokéNav some more and Lyla brushed out Skitty's fur.

It didn't take long for Espeon and Combusken to find a large stream tucked away in the forest. Something didn't quite seem right to Espeon about the area, however, so she watched their surroundings carefully as Combusken filled the canteens.

"Combusken…" the Fire-type trailed off as he paused at the sound of a couple twigs snapping nearby.

"Yes, I heard that too. I think we should get back now. I have a strange feeling that something has its eye on us, and it certainly does not wish for us to be here…" Espeon communicated. "Come along."

As the two walked away, Espeon could have sworn she heard something growling. It didn't really scare her, but she knew that the two weren't welcomed there and she just wanted to be respectful of that. The two returned with the filled canteens and the trainers got ready to go again. As Eziray called her Pokémon back to their balls, Espeon warned Aiden about a Pokémon nearby who really didn't want to be disturbed. Aiden thanked her for the information and called her and Combusken back to their balls.

"Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off, perking her ears.

"Something wrong, Skitty?" Lyla asked.

Skitty shook her head. She hadn't heard anything too alarming. She only heard a little rustling sound nearby, but she decided to stay on the ground for a while in case they were being targeted by something. She even told Mudkip to stay on his guard as well.

"Stay close guys," Aiden said as they began to walk.

"Why, what's going on?" Lyla asked, convinced that something was up now.

"Espeon was getting some odd sensations about this area and I can't seem to shake that rumor Nurse Joy told us about. If there's some aggressive, territorial Pokémon on the loose then we should be careful not to upset it," Aiden explained.

"Great," Lyla said, looking around nervously as she got as close to the other two as she could.

She eventually loosened up and focused on hiking up the steep path along the mountain that they had to climb. She figured that whatever Espeon had sensed must have stayed behind because it would have attacked by now. Skitty wasn't convinced yet, however, and kept her ears alert. Every once in a while, she would hear a small pebble tumble down the mountainside and that was enough to keep her on edge. She was certain that they were being followed.

"Hey, we're getting pretty high," Lyla said, peering over the side mountain. "It's a good thing this trail is so wide. That'd be a nasty spill…"

Although it was tough hike, she was pretty proud of their progress. They had almost made it to the top in just over two hours. She suggested that they maybe stop once they got there so they could have lunch. It was around noon and they were all pretty hungry, so it was decided. Once they got to the top, they immediately spotted a group of large, flat boulders that were perfect for sitting on. The trainers set up bowls of food for their Pokémon on the ground and perched themselves on the rocks while they ate sandwiches and enjoyed the aerial view of Slateport City and the magnificent ocean beyond it.

"Mudkip, quit eating so fast or you're going to choke," Lyla warned as Eevee relocated her bowl so she could avoid the crumbs flying from Mudkip's mouth.

"KEH, KEH!" Mudkip coughed, trying to spit out the piece of food lodged in his throat.

"I told you so…"

"Hey, Ezzie?" Gracie began, looking up from her bowl.

"Sup, Gracie?" Eziray asked, looking down at the Ralts.

"I won't be sad if you don't pick me for your gym battle!"

"Aww, who says I wasn't planning on picking you?"

"I'm really proud of myself for helping you defeat Brawly, but I'll understand if it's someone else's turn now!"

"That's really sweet of you Gracie, but I just can't make up my mind!"

"Myaaa…" Skitty trailed off uneasily, looking over her shoulder.

"This is getting ridiculous," Lyla began, standing up on the rock. "Alright, if there's anyone following us, show yourself _now_!"

Everyone waited in silence for a moment as nothing happened. Then Lyla turned around, smiling.

"See? There's nothing there, Skitty. We've already passed through that Pokémon's territory, so we can all relax now. It has no reason to follow UUUUS–"

As Lyla was finishing her sentence, Mudkip jumped up and tackled her off of the rock. Before she had the chance to scold him, a jolt of electricity traveled passed them. It had been aimed at the spot where she had been standing.

"Eleee…" a green Pokémon trailed off as it leapt up and landed on the trail behind them, just near the edge of the mountain where they had hiked up. Eziray pointed her Pokédex at it curiously.

"Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon: Electrike stores electricity in its fur and uses it to simulate its muscles and heighten its reaction speed."

"Not exactly the prettiest Pokémon in the world, but it's kinda cute in its own way. I could definitely work with it!" Lyla exclaimed standing up.

"Hey, I know you're set on catching an Electric-type, but are you sure you want _that_ one?" Aiden asked.

"He looks pretty mean…and hard to tame," Eziray added.

"He'll just have to learn to love me then!" Lyla exclaimed.

As if it wanted to shove that comment right back into her mouth, the Electrike snarled and sent some massive sparks her way. Luckily, Mudkip came to the rescue by blocking the attack. He took some pretty big damage from the sacrifice, however, and Lyla dropped to his side to see if he was okay.

"Mud," he grunted, standing up to face the enemy.

"Hey Mudkip, maybe you should sit this one out. As a Water-type, you're at a bit of a disadvantage here," Lyla insisted.

"KIP!" Mudkip uttered as he tried to blast the Electrike off the mountain with Water Gun.

The Electrike moved right out of the way with Quick Attack and charged forward at great speed, plowing Mudkip right over. The Mud Fish Pokémon bounced back up almost immediately and tried to slow it down with Ice Beam, but the Electrike was just too quick. This time it landed on Mudkip and dug its fangs in deep, giving him a painful jolt of Spark as it clamped on.

"Muuuud!" Mudkip cried out.

"Mudkip, return!" Lyla exclaimed, trying to return Mudkip to his ball. He wouldn't give up though and continued to fight the Electrike. "See? You won't even listen to me! How am I supposed to compete in a contest with you?"

She watched in horror as every single attack that Mudkip attempted missed and the Electrike fried Mudkip over and over again. Finally, with one final zap of Spark, Mudkip was down for good. Lyla hurried over and scooped him up, demanding to know why he never listened. Then the Electrike began to close in on them, growling viciously.

"Get ready, Charo!" Eziray exclaimed as her Charmander rose to take a turn with the Electrike.

Suddenly Skitty bounced out in front of them all and began to meow softly. Her meows became more and more melodic and soothing as multicolored sound waves began emitting from her mouth. The sound waves traveled forward, and the Electrike had become too relaxed to even want to avoid them. As soon as they hit, the wild Pokémon fell asleep instantly.

"Was that a new move, Skitty?" Lyla asked as Gracie rushed over to take a look at Mudkip.

"There's no time, Miss Lyla! You've got to get Mudkip some help!" the Psychic-type insisted.

"You're right," Lyla said, rushing down the trail that led to the other side of the mountain. As Aiden had mentioned before, there was supposed to be a Pokémon Center at the base.

"Lyla, don't run down the mountain!" Aiden shouted in an attempt to warn her.

As Lyla felt her momentum picking up, she realized that Aiden was right and she slowed down just enough to prevent herself from running right off the edge of the mountain. The trip down was definitely quicker than going up, but still not quick enough for Lyla. As soon as she made it to the Pokémon Center at the bottom, she practically busted the door down and insisted that Mudkip had to take priority over all the others. To her surprise, however, there were no other patients. Nurse Joy appeared to have been sitting there with nothing to do and the fact that she had a visitor seemed to be more surprising than the manner that Lyla had entered. As Nurse Joy took Mudkip into the back room, Aiden and Eziray came trailing in as well.

"That was fast," Lyla said.

"Boy, I'll say," Eziray said, breathing heavily. "I thought you said you were out of shape too!"

"How's Mudkip?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know, she took him into the back there and–"

"He's going to be just fine!" Nurse Joy announced as she walked into the room. "I see you ran into that pesky Electrike! No one's been able to take this route ever since he showed up. Everyone's just been renting bicycles and taking the bike path instead. I have no idea why he's been so territorial lately, but I'm surprised you three made it past him! No one else has. Especially since…"

"Since what?" Eziray asked.

"Well, I'm almost certain it was him but…a large group of boulders suddenly appeared between here and Mauville City just a week ago. I have no idea how he did it, but now no one can get through. You'll have to stay here until it gets cleared up I'm afraid."

"Are you kidding me? We can just clear it ourselves!" Eziray insisted.

"But why?" Lyla interrupted. "Why would it do that?"

"It's like he doesn't want anyone on this route. He must've put those boulders there so he could regulate the other side of the mountains and not have to worry about people coming through. It's just so strange…"

"I guess it doesn't matter that we made it here in record timing, we still gotta wait the night anyway," Lyla began before Eziray could even suggest that they should head off to break the boulders now. "Mudkip's gonna need a full night's rest."

"But that doesn't mean you should go off by yourself either," Aiden began before Eziray could suggest clearing up the boulders herself so they didn't have to waste time doing it the next day. "We don't need all your Pokémon in the emergency room too."

"Well hey, I'm sure it's nowhere near as powerful as Watson's Pokémon and I _need _the practice against Electric-types!" Eziray insisted.

"No offence, but I don't think any of your Pokémon possess the ability to move all those Rocks, Eziray. Gracie would get too tired out trying to move them telepathically because those things are heavy, and it would take Charo forever to cut through them all with Metal Claw," Lyla pointed out.

"Then how will we get through?"

"Well, Mudkip could freeze them solid which would make them easier to smash, and Aiden's Combusken can break some up with his Sky Uppercut," Lyla suggested.

"Who knows, maybe you'll capture that Electrike and we could get him to clear them the same way he moved them in the first place," Aiden suggested with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that and I think I'm going to hold off for now. I don't need any more high maintenance Pokémon," Lyla said, smiling awkwardly.

"Good idea," Eziray replied. "Hey, maybe _I'll_ catch it! I could use another tough Pokémon on my team and I can handle _anything_!"

"Then you'd have five Pokémon to decide between for your next gym battle, knucklehead," Aiden said as he Nurse Joy led them to their room.

It was pretty tiny and crammed with two bunk beds and a dinky walkway. Fortunately, there was a closet next to the entrance for them to store their bags inside. After settling in a bit, the three helped Nurse Joy with some of her daily routines. She even gave Lyla some pointers about tending to an injured Pokémon for whenever a Pokémon Center wasn't nearby as she bandaged up Mudkip. For dinner, the three feasted on apples, cheese, bread and whatever other perishable things they found stashed away in their bags. Then they went to sleep fairly early because they were all so exhausted.

"How's Mudkip?" Eziray asked the next morning as Lyla walked into the room.

"He's A-Okay!" Lyla exclaimed, holding up his Pokéball. "I think I'll keep him in here in case we run into that Electrike again."

"Good idea," Eziray said as she packed away her toothbrush. "Alright, let's head out!"

"But Aiden's still sleeping…"

"Mya?" Skitty meowed, standing up on her hind legs so she could put her front paws up against the glass of the window.

"That's right, Skitty! We're going hiking again today!" Lyla exclaimed as the Kitten Pokémon sniffed around curiously.

Suddenly, the Electrike from the day before popped up from the other side and greeted them all with a vicious growl as Skitty scurried away in fear.

"Oh brother," Eziray said, crossing her arms.

"Not the brightest crayon in the box, are you?" Lyla asked as the Electric-type electrocuted the glass in an attempt to hurt them.

"Hey! Go away now, Electrike!" Eziray called, motioning her hand to shoo him away, only provoking him even more. "Come on! I just want to get to Mauville!"

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, Mudkip popped right out of his ball and sprinted out of the room towards the front entrance.

"Mudkip, NO!" Lyla shouted, grinding her teeth together in frustration.

"What's going on?" Aiden asked with a yawn and she bolted out after her rebellious little Water-type.

"Come on, Mudkip! Listen to your trainer. I don't want to spend all day at the Pokémon Center again!" Eziray called as she followed after them without answering Aiden.

"Kip!" Mudkip replied defiantly as he raced out the front door.

The Electrike turned as he noticed Mudkip exit the building. With a low growl, it charged forward, body outlined in white.

"That's Strength!" Eziray exclaimed.

"It must be how he moved those boulders," Aiden presumed, joining them outside.

"Mudkip, _move_!" Lyla demanded as Aiden sent out Combusken to assist the Mud Fish Pokemon.

"Mud!" the Pokémon exclaimed as his body suddenly began to glow.

"Mudkip?" Lyla called, a little surprised by the transformation that began to take place. "Oh my gosh, that's not Bide!"

Just as the glowing subsided, the newly evolved Marshtomp caught the incoming Electrike and tightly squeezed his arms around it so it couldn't move. Then he opened his mouth and blasted the Electric-type in the face with a thick jet of mud.

"Eeeeh!" the Electrike cried as it tumbled over itself a ways.

Then it stood, angrier than ever, and zapped the Mud Fish Pokémon with all its might. Marshtomp stood, grinning, not even fazed by the attack due to the fact that he was now part Ground-type.

"Yeah!" Lyla cheered.

"Maybe he knew he was getting ready to evolve and needed a strong opponent to push him over the edge," Aiden suggested. "Some Pokémon are like that."

"Marshtomp, use that mud thing again!"

"I believe that's called Mud Shot," Nurse Joy informed as she walked out to see what the commotion was about.

Marshtomp stepped backwards with one leg and then blasted the Electrike once more with Mud Shot. The Electrike knew it didn't stand a chance so it quickly fled when the move subsided.

"Yay, Marshtomp!" Lyla exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her newly evolved Pokémon. "Wow, you're more than half my size now. That's gonna take some getting used too. I mean you, Eevee, and Skitty have been so teeniEEE!"

As Lyla spoke, Marshtomp hugged her back, squeezing her so hard that he about suffocated her. As she struggled to break free, he even lifted her from the ground slightly as he rubbed his face against her lovingly.

"Help," she squeaked as Aiden and Eziray burst out laughing.

"Well _Marshtomp_ seems healthy," Nurse Joy began with a pleasant smile. "I guess he's fit to travel, especially since that Electrike won't be able to hurt him anymore."

"Thank you so much for everything, Nurse Joy!" Lyla exclaimed as soon as Marshtomp had set her down.

"It was my pleasure, really. I'm just happy that Marshtomp is going to be okay!"

The trainers thanked Nurse Joy once more, in unison, and then began trekking towards Mauville. Just as Nurse Joy had warned, they happened upon a row of large boulders blocking the route. The forest was way too thick off to the sides so there was really no way to just step around the obstacle. The trainers stood there and tried to figure out the best way to break through. They really only needed to destroy one boulder because that would create enough space for them to just slip by. Both Marshtomp and Combusken were still out of their Pokéballs so Lyla asked Marshtomp to freeze one of the boulders solid so Combusken could shatter it with Sky Uppercut. It worked, but the trainers quickly realized that there was more than just one row blocking their path. To conserve their Pokémon's energy, Lyla and Eziray decided to go take a look at just how many boulders they had to bust through.

"Here, here, sit on my shoulders," Lyla said, lowering her body.

"I could just…" Espeon trailed off as she and Aiden watched the spectacle.

"Yeah, but this is more entertaining," Aiden said, crossing his arms and chuckling.

"I can't reach it, lift me higher!"

"But I can't stand any taller! Hurry up, this is killing me!"

"I don't have a hold of anything!"

"Okay then get off, let's switch. Maybe you could lift me high-ER!"

"Maaarsh!" Marshtomp exclaimed as he picked Lyla up by the legs, giving Eziray just the boost she needed to grab onto the top of the boulder. Lyla gave her a quick shove with her hands and Eziray was up.

"Look at you!" Lyla exclaimed as Marshtomp held her. "You're such a gentleman now, I love it."

"Marsh…" he trailed off, deep in thought about something.

"Marshtomp?"

Marshtomp grinned and blasted her with Water Gun, shooting her into the air and right over the rock. There was a very delayed scream followed by a large thud, and Eziray jumped down to the other side to see if Lyla was okay.

"I TAKE BACK EVERY NICE THING I'VE EVER SAID ABOUT YOU!" Lyla shouted as Marshtomp put his hands to his mouth and snorted in amusement.

"Marshtomp, Combusken, c'mere. Alright, Espeon," Aiden began as he and the two bipedal Pokemon put a hand on the Psychic-type. "Let's show them the practical way. Use Telepor–"

"TRIKE!" the Electrike roared, suddenly charging at Aiden and the three Pokemon from out of nowhere once again.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp shouted, running forward to put the Electric-type in its place again.

"Wait a second," Aiden said, holding his hand out to stop Marshtomp. "I can tell that it isn't going to give up no matter how many times we beat it. Even if _we _manage to get to Mauville, this Electrike is just going to get in someone else's way. We need make sure this Pokémon doesn't bother anyone again."

"Marsh…" Marshtomp trailed off in agreement as the Electrike slowed and closed in on them.

"I do hope that you are not proposing what I think," Espeon said, taking an offensive stance to defend her trainer.

"AIDEN!" Lyla exclaimed. "Get over here, quick!"

"In a minute," he called back.

At the sound of Lyla's voice, the Electrike suddenly tensed up and charged in the direction of it, completely forgetting about Aiden.

"Combusken," Aiden's Fire-type clucked, strutting forward to block the Electrike's path.

"I don't know what you've got against us, but you'll have to get through Combusken to get to my friends," Aiden challenged.

The Electrike growled and began charging up a Spark attack, but Aiden gave a quick command to use Fire Spin, so the Lightning Pokémon was completely torched before it could even attack. It snarled in frustration and immediately followed up with another jolt of Spark that Combusken dodged with ease by flipping up out of the way. When he landed, Electrike charged forward with Strength.

"Sky Uppercut!" Aiden ordered as the Electrike neared.

Combusken's right fist began to glow and he swung it upwards into Electrike, knocking it up into the air as the punch sunk right into its gut. The Electrike let out a choking cry of pain and small sparks electricity danced around him, giving Combusken a slight jolt. It had just been some excess static that hadn't done any real damage, but it brought about a strange tingling sensation that seemed to restrict Combusken's movement.

"Hey, are you okay?" Aiden asked as sparks crackled across Combusken's body and the Electrike backed up to get a running start for its next attack.

"Some Electric-types like this Electrike release static from their bodies that can paralyze a Pokémon who touches it, Aiden," Espeon informed.

"I know that, but don't tell me…" Aiden trailed off as Combusken cringed.

"Here it comes…"

As Electrike charged forward with Strength once more, Combusken just stood there, completely motionless as his body continued to spark softly. The hit sent Combusken flying straight into one of the boulders, busting it into pieces.

"Come on Combusken, keep trying!" Aiden called as the Electrike closed in. "Try scorching it with another Fire Spin! I know you've got some movement left in ya!"

Combusken forced his mouth open and managed to keep Electrike away from him with a rather weak blast of Fire Spin. Electrike wasn't hit but it did have to dash away to avoid the attack, giving Combusken more time to try to regain his motor functions.

"Try a Sky Uppercut!" Aiden called.

Combusken managed a nod and struggled to draw his arm back. As he thrust it forward, he suddenly stopped it in midair as electricity sparked around it. Electrike charged forward and latched onto Combusken's cocked arm with his sharp fangs. Combusken cried out and tried his best to shake Electrike off, but he just couldn't do it. The wild Electrike finished off the Fire-type with a powerful jolt of Spark and released his Bite as Combusken fell to the ground.

"Combusken!" Aiden shouted. "I'm so sorry…"

"And just where might you be heading?" Espeon asked as the Electrike backed up and charged forward with Strength in order to move the rocks.

As Aiden called Combusken back to his ball, Espeon teleported and blocked Electrike's path. The Electric-type proceeded forward anyway so Espeon sighed and used Psychic to knock him off balance. He stood up growling and attempted to zap her with Spark, but she teleported once more.

"That was a very cruel thing that you did to Combusken," she said, appearing behind him.

"Trike…" he snarled.

She silenced him by lifting him off the ground with Psychic, slowly raising him into the air as he managed to squirm slightly.

"We have been trying our absolute best to be as respectful to you as possible. I am truly sorry for passing through your territory, but you must understand that it was something that had to be done. However, we did so in the most peaceful and quietest of manners. If you will not permit us to pass and continue to attack us like this, then I will have to get involved. I will not allow you to harm my trainer or his friends!" Espeon threatened as she suspended him. "Now let us be on our way!"

As she finished her short lecture, she swung her tail and released a flurry of bright stars that blasted Electrike back to the ground.

"Thanks, Espeon," Aiden said as he studied the motionless Pokémon for a moment.

"It will be up to you now," Espeon replied.

"I thought you were against me doing this," Aiden said, taking out an empty Pokéball.

"We will just have to keep him in check…" Espeon trailed off as her trainer hurled the ball at the fallen Electrike.

They both watched as it violently rocked back and forth. Espeon closed her eyes and frowned as the Pokéball busted back open and Electrike appeared and roared mightily.

"Between you and Combusken, he's taken some damage…but not enough I guess. Espeon, use Quick Attack!"

Espeon sprinted forward, as did Electrike, and the two collided with great force that did some damage on the both of them. They stared each other down aggressively in anticipation of the other's next move. Electrike went first, zapping Espeon with a Spark that she avoided by leaping back out of the way.

"Morning Sun!"

Although Espeon hadn't taken a considerable amount of damage from the Quick Attack collision, Aiden had a hunch that the idea of Espeon being vulnerable would lure the Electrike into coming at her. He was dead-on too. As the Electrike charged at Espeon with Strength, Aiden ordered her to use Psychic. She ceased her Morning Sun immediately and used Psychic to rip a medium sized tree from the ground and bat the Electrike away with one hit. He was forced back into another tree and collapsed at the base of it. Espeon gave him a quick Swift attack to be sure he was down this time.

"Alright, let's see if this one'll be enough for you," Aiden said, taking out a blue Pokéball with two red dashes along the top. "This one's a little stronger than an average Pokéball so hopefully you won't break out this time…"

He tossed the Great Ball at the wild Pokémon and he and Espeon watched in anticipation as the ball rocked side-to-side for quite a while.

"Finally," Aiden said, letting out a breath of air as soon as the glowing in the center of the ball subsided and the motion ceased.

"Not quite," Espeon said as the ball suddenly began rocking again.

"He's pretty stubborn," Aiden said as it rocked just a few more times.

"Did you get him?" Lyla asked excitedly as she perched herself up on one of the rocks.

"I think so," he said as the rocking stopped once more.

"Then get over here quick! You're missing it!" she exclaimed as she jumped down to the other side again.

"Missing what?" he asked himself as he picked up Electrike's ball and sent him out.

"Sorry to make you do something you don't wanna do, but you really need to let people pass through here. They've got places to be you know…"

Without saying anything, the Electrike turned and calmly walked over to the row of boulders. Then he used Strength to move a couple of them out of the way, revealing Lyla and Eziray sitting amongst a nesting site of eggs. These eggs came in either yellow and blue or yellow and red, and some had apparently hatched already because there was a small hoard of very tiny Plusle and Minun climbing all over the two trainers. The Electrike analyzed the situation for a moment and seemed to relax a bit, as if he was relieved about something.

"You were protecting these eggs, weren't you?" Aiden asked, as the Electrike sat down and a Minun hopped over and jumped on his face.

"Look, there's more hatching!" Lyla exclaimed as three more of the eggs began to glow brightly.

"I understand now…" Aiden thought to himself as he and the girls watched in admiration. "Even with the help of Psychic-types who can communicate like Espeon, it's not always easy to understand what a Pokémon is thinking. I think it's kind of funny how both Lyla and I are realizing this at the same time…I mean with what happened this morning. Marshtomp was being so stubborn because he was just trying to push himself into evolving. This Electrike has been so aggressive because he was just trying to protect some abandoned eggs. We as trainers need to start trying to read Pokémon better and consider what their motives are and how they're feeling. If only I had known, Electrike…We could have helped you come up with a better way to protect them."

As if the Electrike knew Aiden was thinking about him, he looked up at his new trainer obediently and they both somehow knew that they were going to get along just fine. Deep down, they both looked forward to battling alongside one another in the near future.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>I don't have much to say about this chapter other than that I hope you enjoyed it! Even though the eggs have safely hatched and Electrike would let people through now, Aiden doesn't release him because Electrike has decided that he's a good person and has accepted him as his trainer. That's sort of what was going on at the end there. Review if you liked it (or even if you didn't)!


	23. CH 23 Thunderstruck

**Chapter 23: Thunderstruck**

"What the hell?" Lyla demanded, standing beside her bed of the hotel room they had checked into the night before.

"Yeah, I noticed that when I woke up too," Eziray began. "I must've been really tired last night because I swear I did not see that when we walked in."

"That's because it wasn't here, Ez," Lyla replied.

"Well some hotels leave chocolates under your pillow, some leave soaps, some leave lotions, and this one leaves complimentary ice sculptures!" Aiden said, bursting into laughter.

"Sculpture? Are you kidding me? It's just a chunk of ice. It's not sculpted or decorated at all. At least leave something pretty and nice to look at if you're going to put it in the way," Lyla complained as she tried to slip past it.

"MAAAAAAAARSH!" Marshtomp boomed as he busted out of it, sending bits of ice flying in every direction as Lyla nearly went into cardiac arrest.

"You okay?" Aiden asked as Marshtomp rubbed his trainer's back.

"I'm fine…" she replied, bent over and breathing heavily. "Just a little startled."

"Tooomp…" Marshtomp trailed off, snorting a little bit.

"It's not funny!" Lyla scolded.

"Elec…" Aiden's Electrike trailed off, taking in the situation.

"Aiden, you're Pokémon are so calm and obedient. I'm so envious," Lyla said looking over the three of them. "Oh, hey…that reminds me!"

She stood up straight and zipped over to the bed where Electrike was laying. He looked up at her curiously as she asked it to keep one last person from getting into Mauville and then described Olivia's appearance.

"Oh, stop," Aiden said with a laugh. "She probably hasn't even noticed we've left yet."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Eziray asked as she shouldered her bag.

"…Actually, no I don't," he replied, realizing who he was talking about.

"Didn't think so!" Eziray replied as she made her way over to the door. "Come on Lyla, you're fine! It's time to head over to the gym!"

"Marshtomp, return!" Lyla exclaimed, as she called Marshtomp back to his ball. "Think you'll be ready?"

"I know I'm ready," Eziray replied, full of confidence. "And I've decided on Speedy, Charo, and Baby!"

"That's a pretty good lineup," Aiden began. "Hopefully all the training you've gotten in recently will pay off."

"We're rootin' for ya!" Lyla exclaimed as the three headed out.

The gym was only a couple blocks away. They had gone to the Pokémon Center the night before for some information, but that wasn't the only thing they learnt there. Lyla had asked if Mauville City held any official Pokémon Contests because she hadn't seen a stadium anywhere. Nurse Joy told her that Mauville City Contests were infrequent and smaller than Slateport or Rustboro contests, but they were held there. In fact, there would be an official Pokémon Contest in Mauville City in just a few days, so both the girls were pumped for their upcoming challenges.

"Hey, are you three here to challenge Wattson?" a girl asked as they neared a yellow, three-story building topped with lightning rod-like structures.

She and a friend of hers were standing out front, arms crossed as if they were waiting for someone. Eziray cocked her head and asked where he was and Lyla asked who they were.

"We're students of his…" one of the girls trailed off.

"And he's right inside, all revved up and waiting for a challenger! Just got back from the Pokémon Center, so you got here just in time," the other replied.

"Routine checkup?" Eziray asked.

"No, he actually got his ass handed to him yesterday," the second girl shot back snobbishly.

"Anita!" the other girl snapped.

"Well, it's true! That Declan guy totally buried him – all with one Pokémon too…"

"Declan? Isn't that the guy who beat Brawly too?" Eziray asked, thinking back to when she had to wait to challenge the Dewford Gym.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Anita replied. "I bet this kid's got a pretty good shot at the champion title this year…"

"I need to meet this guy!" Eziray exclaimed.

"He hit the road immediately after his victory yesterday. That guy doesn't waste any time," the first girl said.

"ANYWAY!" Anita exclaimed, directing everyone's attention back to her. "Wattson's gotten himself into quite a state of depression since yesterday and we really need one of you to go in there and bring him out of it. Maybe the pure joy of battling will snap him out of his funk…"

"I'd be more than happy to help!" Eziray exclaimed. "Although, I hope a second loss won't make it any worse."

"We'll just have to see now won't we?" Anita said with a mischievous smirk. "Right this way please."

With a slight push, Anita knocked the front door right over and motioned for the three to proceed. Eziray followed suit but Lyla and Aiden hesitated for a moment.

"Um, Eziray…something's not right here. She just _knocked down _the door…" Lyla trailed off.

"Don't be a baby, come on!"

Lyla scooped up Skitty and held her tightly as she proceeded forward with Aiden.

"Hold on tight!" the other girl exclaimed as rails suddenly extended from the fallen door that the three were now standing on.

Before any of them could respond, the door accelerated forward, traveling across some sort of track. They all clung to the rail for dear life as they were cranked up a slope and launched back down like a roller-coaster. As it reached the bottom, it began skidding across a pool of water and Lyla was just about thrown off as the force jerked them around. Luckily, Aiden caught her and pulled her back up. When it reached solid ground once more and gently cranked them through, the three finally had a moment to ask themselves what the hell had just happened.

"Well, that was a pretty rough ride…" Eziray trailed off.

"WHAT KIND OF GYM LEADER?" Lyla demanded, so angry that she couldn't even finish her thought.

"I guess it's his way of saying hello," Aiden said with a sigh.

"Well hello to you too," Lyla shouted at a surveillance camera as they passed by. "Oh God…what the hell is that?"

The door before them had opened, revealing an electronic Raikou that was completely charged up with electricity.

"Are we supposed to break that thing?" Eziray asked as it roared and a massive bolt of electricity traveled forward.

"Well, I highly doubt it's here for decoration!" Lyla exclaimed as Eziray sent out Gracie.

"Hey Gracie, can you–"

"I'm on it!" Gracie exclaimed, throwing up her arms to halt the electricity with Confusion. Then she turned it around and sent it right back at the robot. It was apparently built to withstand electricity because it didn't do a thing.

"I got this," Lyla said. "Skitty, use Iron Tail!"

"Power that up with Confusion!"

As Skitty flipped up into the air, Gracie used Confusion to bring her back down with ten times the force. The Iron Tail-Confusion combination was enough to take off the machine's head. As it rolled across the floor, a door off to the side opened and a husky man with slightly spikey grey hair and a grey beard entered the hallway with a hearty laugh.

"Excellent! Absolutely fantastic!" he exclaimed with an enthusiastic applause. "What a brilliant display of team work. Well done, ladies!"

"This guy's the gym leader?" Lyla thought to herself as he approached them. "He's goofier than Brawly. Kooky must be part of the job description…"

"You must be Wattson!" Eziray exclaimed, all fired up for her challenge. "I'm Eziray and I hope you're taking challenges today because I'm here for my third gym badge!"

"I like your spirit, Eziray! It would be my pleasure to have a battle with you. After all, I do need to make it up to myself for that gruesome defeat yesterday. Challenge accepted!"

"Great! Just show us to the arena!"

In spite of the fancy building they were in, the Mauville Gym arena was pretty basic: a simple dirt arena in the center of a metal floor. There wasn't anywhere for spectators to sit but Lyla and Aiden were able to watch the match from the metal balcony that stretched along all four walls slightly above the arena.

"Vui!" Eevee exclaimed, popping out of her ball to watch.

"Picking up some battling techniques, Eevee?" Lyla asked as her two Normal-types stretched their heads out beneath the railing.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp cheered as he popped out as well.

"Oh sure, everybody just come right on out!" Lyla muttered sarcastically. "I mean what's the point of Pokéballs if your Pokémon just come out whenever they please anyway?"

"I think they're meant to make us look cooler," Aiden suggested, just to make Lyla smile.

"This Mauville Gym challenge is about to begin!" Anita exclaimed, taking position on the sidelines of the arena. "Chelsea, please explain the rules!"

"Certainly!" the other girl who had been standing out front exclaimed. "The challenger and the Gym Leader will be using three Pokémon each. Whoever knocks all three of their opponent's Pokémon out first will be the victor!"

"So, if both sides are ready, the battle can begin!" Anita concluded.

"Magnemite, you're up first!" Wattson exclaimed, throwing a Pokéball into the air.

"Mag. Ne. Mite," the Pokémon screeched as it materialized.

"Magnemite's part Steel-type so I guess I'll start off with Charo!" Eziray exclaimed, sending her Charmander into battle.

"Great choice, Ez!" Lyla thought to herself, bent over the rail and completely oblivious to Marshtomp who was munching on her hair as he focused on the arena below them.

"Charo, use Flamethrower!"

"Char!" the Fire-type exclaimed just before he shot a massive line of fire from his mouth.

"Sonic Boom!"

The Magnemite spun itself around rapidly to avoid the incoming attack. As it twirled, both of its magnets began to glow bright white and a crescent-shaped sound wave was released. Charo tried to avoid it but couldn't react in time. The Sonic Boom exploded against his body and blew him back quite a ways.

"Great, keep on your feet!" Eziray praised as Charo stood strong.

"That Charmander's stamina is quite remarkable," Wattson began. "He doesn't even seem fazed by that Sonic Boom! So let's try something with a little more oomph. Magnemite, use Shock Wave!"

Magnemite hovered overhead as its magnets began sparking violently. They each released a zigzagging bolt of electricity that connected into a single wave and shot towards Charo.

"Counter it with Flamethrower!"

The entire room lit up as Charo's blazing Flamethrower met the Magnemite's crackling Shock Wave in midair. Lyla and Aiden couldn't help but shield their eyes as they watched from above.

"They're evenly matched!" Eziray exclaimed, becoming even more pumped up as she realized how challenging this battle was getting.

"Looks like it's a bit of a stalemate," Lyla observed. "Magnemite can easily avoid Flamethrower, and close combat moves like Metal Claw and Fire Fang aren't really a good idea when that thing can release a ton of electricity so suddenly…"

"Judging by how excited she is, I think she's just realized that," Aiden said with a sigh.

"Tackle it Magnemite! And get ready to use Thunder Wave!"

"Char!" Charo exclaimed, turning to Eziray as if he wanted to suggest something.

"Hmm, that's risky," Eziray replied as Magnemite came at the Lizard Pokémon. "But you'll be paralyzed if we don't, so go ahead and use that Fire Fang of yours!"

Charo braced himself and caught Magnemite who had already begun to release small sparks of electricity. The Fire-type opened his mouth and it filled with a blazing fire as he bit down hard on the Magnemite in his arms. The sparking became more violent by the second and Lyla covered her mouth as she watched.

"That thing's like a time bomb! Hurry up and get rid of it, Eziray!" Aiden shouted.

"Flamethrower!"

Just as Thunder Wave was released, Charo's Fire Fang developed into a Flamethrower that blasted the Magnemite straight up into a wall. Stray flames and thin waves of electricity shot in every direction as Aiden, Lyla and her Pokémon ducked and shielded themselves.

"Charo, look out!" Eziray shouted as one of the stray jolts of Thunder Wave came his way.

"Chaaar…" the Fire-type groaned as the electricity ran through his body.

"No doubt that paralyzed him," Aiden said as Charo cringed.

"Oh, no!" Lyla exclaimed. "Charo, are you okay?"

"Fire Fang? I've never even heard of that move before," Wattson said as he scratched his head and studied Charo.

"Some guy from the Sinnoh region taught it to him…" Eziray trailed off.

"Sinnoh, huh? It's a mighty nice move! I must say that you are a very strategic trainer, but unfortunately you're not very lucky. We can finish it off now that it's paralyzed, Magnemite! Use Shock Wave once more!"

"Try to dodge it!"

Electricity sparked around Charo's body, restricting his movement as the Shock Wave neared. When it hit, Charo cried out in tremendous pain as the powerful electrocution lit his entire body up for quite some time.

"Charo! Hang in there!" Eziray shouted once the attack ceased.

"Char!" the Charmander uttered, slowly standing back up.

"Hey, you can move! Let's finish this Magnemite off before that paralysis kicks in again. Use Metal Claw!"

"Metal Claw? That's not going to affect it much at all," Lyla objected.

"I think I know what she's up to," Aiden said as Charo raised his claws up to his face.

"You have a very bold battling style," Wattson began with a jolly laugh. "I quite like that!"

"Then you'll _love_ this! Charo, use Flamethrower!"

Without ceasing Metal Claw, Charo used Flamethrower one last time. Wattson hadn't been expecting that so Magnemite wasn't able to dodge it in time. The Electric-type took quite a bit of damage as it was once again blasted back into the wall and slid down to the ground.

"Hey, look at Charo's claws!" Lyla exclaimed.

He had been holding them in front of his mouth when he released the attack so they were burning bright red now. With Eziray's command, he raced forward and violently slashed at the grounded Magnemite until he was certain that the Electric-type was down for the count.

"Magnemite, return!" Wattson exclaimed as he called Magnemite back to its ball. Then he looked to Anita and Chelsea is if they were supposed to have said something.

"Oops!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Magnemite is unable to battle!"

"Charo, you better come back too. You look exhausted," Eziray said as she called Charo back as well.

"This battle is totally in Eziray's favor right now!" Lyla exclaimed. "One down, two to go. Keep it up, Ez!"

"Alright Magneton, you're next!" Wattson exclaimed, tossing another Pokéball up into the air.

"Baby, let's go!" Eziray called as she sent out her next Pokémon.

"A Dratini!" Wattson exclaimed. "I've always been a fan of Kanto natives. Yours are quite rare!"

"Thanks!" Eziray replied. "Quite strong too! Baby, hit it with Dragon Rage!"

"Counter with Tri Attack!"

As Baby opened her mouth to release a fiery cyclone at her opponent, the three screws on Magneton's body began to glow brightly, connecting to form a triangle. It blasted the triangle right into Baby's Dragon Rage and the two moves canceled out.

"Excellent! Now use Zap Cannon!"

Before Baby could dodge, a massive amount of electricity was generated from the Magneton's body and the Dragon Pokémon was completely engulfed in it. She cried out as the electricity coursed through her body and she fell limp as it subsided.

"Wow, Baby's resistant to electricity so that's gotta be one powerful move!" Eziray exclaimed as the Dratini forced herself back up. "We can't let it hit us again…Baby, use Thunder Wave!"

"Not a chance! Supersonic, Magneton!"

Before Baby could even budge, her opponent began to emit high pitched sound waves that made her cringe. When it stopped, she looked up and her eyes were glowing red.

"Baby!" Eziray began as the Dratini began thrashing about, doing quite a bit of damage on herself in the process.

"Now finish it off with Sonic Boom!"

"Woah, Baby can't do a thing…" Lyla trailed off as the Magneton pelted her with crescent-shaped waves of sound. "Wattson seems a lot tougher than Roxanne and Brawly."

"He definitely is!" Aiden replied as Eziray called Baby back and sent out her Grovyle. "Hopefully Speedy can turn this back around…"

"Excellent choice!" Wattson exclaimed as Speedy slashed at the air with the blade-like leaves on his arms. "Ladies…"

"Uh…The Dratini is unable to battle…" Anita trailed off and then turned to Chelsea in a whisper. "It's kinda late to say that now, isn't it?"

"Wattson needs more attentive referees," Lyla began with a giggle. "You'd think _one _of them would remember. Anyway, it looks like no one has the upper hand here. I mean Steel-types are resistant to Grass-type moves right?"

"Yep," Aiden said.

"Marshtomp, _NO!_" Lyla said, looking down in time to catch Marshtomp preparing a Mud Shot.

He swallowed it and sulked as she explained that Eziray was supposed to win the match by herself.

"Magneton, use Tri Attack!"

The Magneton created a bright white triangle as it did before and sent it at Speedy who waited calmly for it. Once it was close enough, Eziray ordered him to slice it apart with Leaf Blade. Then she ordered him to proceed into an attack so he charged forward, leapt up into the air and slashed at the Magneton a couple times before he began to somersault back down.

"Zap Cannon!"

The Magneton quickly shook off the minor damage and let off a huge amount of electricity. Speedy was still in midair and unable to dodge so Eziray ordered him to use Detect. He crossed his arms and began to glow bright blue. He crashed right into the ground due to a sudden lack of balance but he didn't take any damage from the landing or the attack that had been aimed at him.

"Phew…" Eziray trailed off as Speedy stood up and brushed himself off.

"She's got this!" Lyla exclaimed.

"It's not over yet. Use Sonic Boom!"

"Quick Attack!"

Speedy dodged the incoming attack with ease and Eziray grinned widely.

"Sorry, Wattson! But while Speedy's on the ground, you won't be able to hit him with anything! He's super fast!"

"I can see that…" Wattson trailed off as he thought for a moment. "Magneton, keep using Sonic Boom!"

"What? Why?" Lyla asked as Speedy darted around the arena to avoid the continuous fire of Sonic Boom. "That's a little reckless for a gym leader isn't it? He's going to exhaust his Magneton!"

"It must be some sort of strategy," Eziray thought to herself as she watched Speedy's blur. "Wait a minute…Speedy's defaulted to a set pattern!"

Before Eziray could order her Pokémon to change course, Magneton cut him off and he slammed right into the Magnet Pokémon. As he sat up, rubbing his head, he was hit with a Tri Attack that sent him skidding back even more.

"Running around in a circle is pretty predictable and easy to pinpoint," Aiden began. "She should have noticed that sooner."

"Aright next time, we'll vary it up a bit," Eziray thought to herself. "I hope that mistake didn't cost us the match!"

Speedy stood and Eziray let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived and the Magneton got Speedy with Supersonic before he was able to recuperate. Luckily, he didn't really hurt himself; he just slashed away at the ground in confusion as Magneton hovered above him.

"Well, at least hit the Magneton with that!" Eziray called.

To her surprise, he looked up at her with his glowing red eyes and then jumped straight up to slash at the Magneton from below. Unfortunately, he was too out of it to move out of the way once he landed and the Magneton gave him a massive, continuous jolt of Zap Cannon until he hit the ground.

"Speedy!" Eziray called as Anita announced that Eziray was now down to her last Pokémon.

"Throw the match, Ez!" Aiden called. "Charo's in no condition to come out and face this Magneton!"

"That Magneton's still pretty healthy and Charo isn't resistant to Electric-type attacks. Zap Cannon will destroy him!" Lyla added.

"They're right…" Eziray trailed off as she rolled Charo's ball between her fingers. "Wattson…"

"A very respectable decision," Wattson replied, returning Magneton to its ball. "One should always put their Pokémon first, so there's no shame in throwing in the towel for their sake. Feel free to come back for a rematch whenever you'd like!"

"Thanks, Wattson," Eziray said with a slight smile. "Sorry I couldn't give you a better match."

"She's taking the loss rather well," Lyla observed as Eziray started getting pumped up for her upcoming rematch.

"Yeah, she's always been like that…" Aiden trailed off.

"YOU TWO!" Wattson shouted with such a loud, booming voice that just about knocked Aiden and Lyla off their feet.

"Y-Yes, sir?" Lyla stuttered.

"I can take one more challenger today, but that's it!" he exclaimed as he handed his Magnemite's ball to Chelsea who was presumably taking it to the Pokémon Center.

"Oh, they're not here to challenge you. They're just watching," Eziray said.

"Really?" Wattson asked.

"Sorry! I'm more of a coordinator-type," Lyla said. Before she could explain Aiden, he interrupted her.

"I'll challenge you, mister Wattson!" he exclaimed, throwing Lyla and Eziray completely off guard.

"Huh?" Eziray asked, wondering if maybe she had heard him wrong.

"AIDEN!" Lyla exclaimed joyfully as she beamed at him, eyes shining with admiration.

"Why not?" he replied as he walked away. "If we're going to be up against Team Aqua and Team Magma, then I need to toughen myself up as well. I don't mean to add more competition for ya, Ez, but I've decided to take the Pokémon League challenge too."

"Aiden, that's great!" Eziray exclaimed. "The more, the merrier! I don't mind a bit!"

Lyla and Eziray cheered as he disappeared through the door behind him and reappeared at the doorway leading into the arena. Eziray rushed past him with a high-five as she made her way up to stand next to Lyla.

"I don't get many first-time gym challengers," Wattson began as Aiden took his position and Anita grinned.

"Don't underestimate him!" Eziray shouted. "He's still a great trainer!"

"Is he, now? Well, I'll be the one to evaluate that…Magneton, come on back out!"

"Magneton again?" Lyla asked.

"Don't worry, miss. This will take care of any damage Magneton took in the previous battle," Wattson said as Anita handed him a spray bottle of medicine.

With a couple quick squirts, the Magneton was looking one hundred percent again as it twirled around energetically.

"Alrighty, choose your weapon, boy!"

"Combusken, come on out!"

"I couldn't think of a more favorable matchup!" Wattson exclaimed as Aiden sent out his Fire and Fighting-type. "But for us, it's going to be tricky!"

"Let's try a Fire Spin, Combusken!" Aiden exclaimed with a grin.

"Combusken!" the Young Fowl Pokémon bellowed as he spat a swirling vortex of fire at his opponent.

"Dodge it!"

The Magneton spun its body and propelled itself away from the flames that burned brightly enough to almost blind it. Aiden and Combusken took advantage of that cover and Combusken rose up from the flames with Sky Uppercut before they could extinguish. He drove his right fist up into the Magneton, sending it flying into the ceiling as he landed gracefully on the ground below.

"Maaag," the Magneton buzzed as it drifted back to place and tried to recuperate.

"Now try another Fire Spin!"

Combusken's mouth flew open once more and another Fire Spin was released from it. As it neared, Wattson quickly gave the command to counter it with Tri Attack. The two moves collided and Tri Attack prevailed, absorbing much of the flames and incorporating them into its structure as the triangular blast came whirling down.

"Combusken!" Aiden called as the amplified attack hit.

"This guy's impossible! Even with a type advantage, they're still struggling," Lyla thought to herself.

"Excellent work, Magneton! Now let's give them a slight obstacle to deal with – use Supersonic!"

"Uh oh," Eziray said as the Magneton began to emit high-pitched sound waves.

Combusken fell to one knee, trying to keep the sound out by covering his ears. It was no use. The move worked its wonder and Combusken's eyes turned red with confusion.

"That's the move that gave me a lot of trouble!" Eziray exclaimed. "It could mean the difference between a win or loss!"

"I'm feeling lucky…" Aiden trailed off as Combusken stood.

The girls stared in suspense, wondering if Combusken would be able to follow orders or not. He turned to his trainer and that seemed like a pretty good sign.

"Okay Combusken, use–"

Before Aiden could finish his order, the Combusken looked up at the Magneton and hissed viciously. The Magneton stared back blankly which evidently angered him even more because he began setting of spurts of Fire Spin left and right. The Electric-type did its best to avoid them but Combusken was on a complete rampage and completely unpredictable. Several of the attacks hit and then Combusken readied itself for a big one.

"Combusken…" Aiden trailed off, not really sure if he should bother trying to snap his Pokémon out of confusion. It was giving them the upper hand after all.

"You best counter that with Tri Attack!" Wattson ordered as Combusken released the most powerful Fire Spin he'd come up with all morning.

The Magneton countered the attack with Tri Attack, just as it had done before. For a moment, after the Tri Attack hit him, Combusken seemed to be out cold. Anita opened her mouth to call it but Combusken jerked itself back up, more enraged than ever. His beak began to glow and he shot up in an attempt to hit Magneton with Peck. It didn't do a thing, however, and Combusken only wound up hurting himself as he struck Magneton's steel body.

"Combusken, it's time to snap out of it now!" Aiden shouted, worried that Combusken would make more bad calls.

"Magneton, let's finish it off now. Use Zap Cannon!"

The Electric-type began sparking violently and released a massive discharge of electricity. Combusken charged right through it, taking a ton of damage, but he managed to keep pushing himself.

"No way!" Eziray exclaimed excitedly as Combusken hurdled himself into the air and drove Magneton into a wall with a powerful Sky Uppercut that embodied all of his rage.

Magneton fell motionless to the ground, Combusken landed gracefully beside it, and Anita called the match.

"Magneton, return!" Wattson called.

"Busken…" the Fire-type trailed off as it shook its head a few times, snapping itself out of confusion.

"It's about time," Aiden muttered.

"Voltorb, come on out!"

"Avoiding Steel-types now I guess," Eziray thought to herself with a smile. "He's lucky he used them up on me…"

"Alright Combusken, let's go!" Aiden exclaimed as Combusken darted forward, ready to attack.

"Voltorb, use Screech!"

Combusken halted in his tracks as a horrid screeching sound traveled through the room. He dropped to the ground instantly, as did Skitty and the three visiting trainers. Wattson let out a booming laugh but no one actually heard it over the dreadful ruckus.

"AIDEN, SHUT IT UP!" Lyla pleaded as Skitty cried out in pain, expecting her eardrums to give out at any second.

"That's good enough, Voltorb! Use Rollout!"

"Fire Spin!"

The Electric-type rolled forward, picking up speed and power. As it neared, Combusken managed to regain its composure enough to hit it with Fire Spin. The Voltorb continued forward however, seemingly unfazed by the attack.

"You'll have to do better than that, Aiden! I've done everything in my power to maximize that Voltorb's defense!"

"Great…" Aiden trailed off as the Voltorb slammed itself into Combusken's body, launching itself upward and spinning away. It landed several feet away and repeated, gaining more and more power with each hit. Combusken backed slowly, taking every hit because they came too quickly for him to react. The final hit sent him flying into a wall.

"Let's go Combusken, let's go!" Eziray cheered with two rhythmic claps.

Lyla smiled and joined in as Skitty hopped up and down, meowing. Combusken looked up at them for a moment and then back to its opponent who had just fired a Sonic Boom his way. He flopped over to avoid it and stood, wiping the corner of his mouth with his arm.

"So they're cheerleaders now," Aiden murmured with a smile. "Combusken, we can't let em down now! Use Sky Uppercut!"

Combusken charged forward but was thwarted once again by the Voltorb's screech. Everyone cringed once more and Lyla finally noticed Anita and Wattson's ear plugs. She stuffed her fingers into her ears and muttered something about how guests were not treated very well in this gym.

"Don't let it carry on!" Aiden shouted, trying to be louder than the Voltorb. "Use Ember to distract it!"

Combusken managed to spit a cluster of tiny fireballs at the Voltorb who rolled to the right slightly to avoid them. To everyone's delight, it ceased its Screech to do so. Combusken continued forward as quickly as he could and cocked his arm back for Sky Uppercut. As he swung, the Voltorb used Rollout to roll up his arm and into the air, avoiding any and all potential damage. Before landing, it also gave Combusken a quick jolt of Spark at Wattson's command. Then it landed, putting some distance between them.

"I've never seen a Voltorb give someone this much trouble before," Eziray said. "That just goes to show you that Wattson can bring out the potential in _any_ Electric-type! But what can Aiden do now? What's left to try?"

In spite of how hopeless it was looking to Eziray, Aiden felt the exact opposite. He was smiling actually. Voltorb had just given him an idea, but he'd need to get it to come at them again.

"Combusken, use Fire Spin!"

"You can handle the heat, Voltorb. Use Rollout!"

"It worked!" Aiden thought to himself as Voltorb plowed right through the flames.

"Look, he's smiling," Lyla observed.

"Combusken, use Sky Uppercut!"

The Fire-type lowered one of its arms to the ground and swung at just the right moment to send the Voltorb spinning out of control into the air.

"Woah-ho!" Wattson exclaimed, taken by surprise.

"We're not through yet! Combusken, _now_ use Fire Spin!"

Combusken fired, blasting the Voltorb right in the face with Fire Spin. He propelled the Electric-type with it for a moment and then leapt up into the air.

"Sky Uppercut!"

"Combuska!" the Fire-type uttered as he came down and thrust his arm down from up above, driving the Voltorb into the ground with so much force that it was knocked out instantly. Anita called it as soon as the dust settled. The girls cheered excitedly.

"Voltorb, return!" Wattson called as he called back yet another fallen Pokémon. "I won't be swept again! Manectric, you're up!"

"How you holding up there?" Aiden asked as Combusken huffed and puffed. "Is it time to finish this up with someone else?"

Combusken gave subtle nod as if he didn't want to admit he was tired, so Aiden called him back and sent out his newly caught Electrike.

"Espeon's technically the better choice here, but I figure now's a good a time as ever to get to know you," Aiden said as the Electrike positioned himself for battle.

"Electrike, huh? We'll have to select our moves very carefully then, Manectric…Use Thunder!"

"That's selecting your moves _carefully_?" Lyla wondered to herself. "Why would he use an Electric-type move like Thunder?"

As she finished her thought, the Manectric focused and a bolt of electric struck down from above. Electrike didn't have to move a muscle, however. The attack hit several feet away.

"IT MISSED?" Lyla demanded. "How could it be so far off like that?"

Wattson chortled a bit at Lyla's remark and looked up at her. He figured he'd fill her in.

"Are you aware that every Pokémon has a special ability? Like that Skitty at your feet…She's got an ability referred to as 'Cute Charm' and if an enemy hits her with a physical attack, they could become temporarily infatuated with her."

"…Really?" Lyla asked, looking down at Skitty who mewed in confusion.

"Yep! Just the same, Manectric and Electrike will possess one of two abilities: either 'Static' or 'Lightningrod.' Static is called so because Pokémon with this ability release excess static from their bodies that could paralyze an enemy that hits it with a physical attack," Wattson explained as Lyla thought back to when Aiden's Combusken had become paralyzed when it came into contact with Electrike the day before. "A Pokémon with Lightningrod draws in all Electrical-type moves and absorbs them, regenerating its health. Seeing how Thunder missed and wasn't drawn in, that means this Electrike here possesses Static as its ability. That means we need to steer clear from physical attacks and only attack with Manectric's Electric-type moves."

"So he missed on purpose," Eziray thought to herself. "SO SMART! He really knows his Electric Pokémon!"

"This should be an interesting battle though…Manectric here possesses Lightningrod so you're restricted to only using your Electrike's physical attacks, Aiden. This is all going to come down to wits, speed, and power!"

"Well thanks for letting me in on that bit of information," Aiden said. "Now we can get right down to business! Electrike, use Quick Attack!"

"You too, Manectric!"

"Didn't he _just_ say that he won't be using Physical attacks?" Lyla thought to herself, finally accepting the fact that she would never understand this man.

Electrike jolted forward but Manectric sped away before he could even get close. They raced around the arena for a bit until Electrike and his trainer realized that Manectric was much faster.

"Well, that's no good," Aiden thought to himself. "How are we supposed to hit it with physical attacks if we can't even get close enough?"

"This is exciting!" Eziray exclaimed. "You'd think Aiden would have the upper hand because Wattson has to use Electric-type moves which don't have much effect on Electrike, but if Aiden can't even touch the opponent then there's just no way…"

"Aiden, switch to Espeon!" Lyla called.

"You seem to be reflecting so I guess it's my move. Let's actually hit him with Thunder this time, Manectric!" Wattson exclaimed.

Electrike looked up in time to see a strike of lightning coming down from up above and he managed to stumble out of the way of it, just before it struck. Then he stood and sped forward towards his opponent. Just as Manectric was about to take off, Electrike suddenly veered off to the right and disappeared for a moment.

"Maaane," the Manectric growled, turning around.

Just as it did so, Electrike came up behind it and knocked it forward with as much force as possible. The Manectric rolled a bit and Electrike closed in on it.

"Great foot work, Electrike! Now use Bite!"

The Electrike bared its fangs and lunged forward.

"Shock Wave!"

A mass of blue, sparking electricity suddenly began to accumulate around the Manectric's body. He stood and released a massive, zigzagging wave of electricity, striking Electrike right in the mouth. The Lightning Pokémon staggered, whimpering in pain as the Discharge Pokémon escaped to try to put some distance back between the two.

"Electrike! You okay?"

Electrike jerked his head from side-to-side for a moment, shaking off the pain. Then he looked up to his trainer for further instruction.

"I think we're going to need some more power, Manectric. This is one tough little Electrike! So use Charge!"

"Strength!"

"Trike!" the Lightning Pokémon exclaimed, suddenly charging forward as his body began to glow white and Manectric began to charge up its electricity.

Manectric took the hit in order to finish charging and took a pretty hefty amount of damage. It got back on its feet almost instantly, however, and the two Electric-types stared each other down for a moment until Wattson ordered Manectric to use Thunder. This time, Electrike couldn't avoid the attack and was given quite a powerful jolt of an extremely supercharged Thunder attack.

"That seems to be working," Wattson said as Electrike struggled to stand after the hit. "Why don't we charge your Electric-type moves up a little more?"

Manectric nodded and began charging once more as Electrike tried his best to recuperate.

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!" Eziray shouted, completely awestruck by the massive Thunder she had just witnessed.

"Eziray!" Lyla shouted, concerned for Electrike's well-being after such a hit.

"Wasn't that amazing though?"

In an attempt to knock out Manectric before he could hit with another supercharged attack Aiden ordered Electrike to use Strength again. This one hit as well but it wasn't nearly enough to keep Manectric down. The Discharge Pokémon retaliated with a Shock Wave that Electrike managed to dodge.

The battle raged on, both sides doing whatever they could to avoid attacks and inflict as much damage as possible. Both Pokémon needed more power to knock out the other but neither of them had the stamina to keep going much longer. It was all coming down to who could hold out the longest.

"Manectric, keep charging!" Wattson ordered, in an attempt to finish Electrike off with one final blow.

"Electrike, power your Strength up with Quick Attack!"

"I just can't believe it…" Eziray trailed off.

"What?" Lyla asked.

"He's gonna win…even if Electrike loses, Aiden is going to win this match. Espeon can take down a worn out Manectric easy!"

"It might not even come down to that…" Lyla trailed off as Electrike charged towards Manectric at breakneck speed and maximum power.

Aiden held his breath as Electrike neared. Wattson had yelled for an attack but Manectric hadn't finished charging. Electrike closed in and the Discharge Pokémon just stood there, unable to do a thing as electricity accumulated around his body. Finally, it was ready. The largest bolt of Thunder any of them had ever seen rippled down in a sudden flash, blinding everyone as Electrike slammed into Manectric. Stray sparks crackled throughout the room as the dust settled and revealed two motionless figures sprawled out on the ground.

"It's a draw!" Eziray gasped.

"Neither Pokémon is able to continue but since Wattson is out of Pokémon, the challenger wins!" Anita announced.

"Awesome job, Electrike," Aiden praised as he picked up his fallen Pokémon.

"Anita, you know what to do," Wattson said as he handed Anita three Pokéballs. She nodded and disappeared through a door as Wattson continued towards Aiden.

"Wattson," Aiden said, shaking the gym leader's hand.

"You did a mighty fine job, boy! And although I lost, I quite enjoyed our match. I'll make this short because we both know where that Electrike needs to be right now, so here it is: the Mauville City Dynamo Badge. Congratulations!"

Aiden accepted it with a grin. It was golden and circular with several rings etched into the center and two stems coming out each end. Aiden thanked the gym leader and then headed out of the gym with the girls to get his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center.

"Aiden, let me see!" Eziray exclaimed as she and Lyla struggled with each other to get a look at the Dynamo Badge.

"Take it easy," he said as he held it out in front of him.

"Ooh! I just can't believe you beat Wattson and I didn't. That's crazy! You should have been challenging gym leaders from the start!" Eziray rambled.

"So how was it? Did you like it? Are you going to challenge more gyms?" Lyla asked.

"Well, we'll see," he replied with a chuckle.

"But, Aiden!" Lyla whined as if she was expecting a different answer.

"Aiden, come on! You can't tell me you're not going to go through with taking the Pokémon League challenge _now_! Hey, are you listening to me?"

As the girls continued to pummel him with questions and comments, Aiden continued on with a big smile and not a word more.

**Author Notes:**

So I decided to have Aiden start battling gyms for two reasons. First and most importantly, I wanted to give him some stronger ambitions so he'd have something to be more passionate about. Second, I wanted to incorporate a few of my own gyms into Hoenn. In the game, there are only eight gyms per region. In the anime, however, there are more than that (Gary has ten Kanto badges for example). I thought that these new, original gyms would spice things up a bit and introduce some more interesting characters. I hope you all like where I'm going with this! Be sure to leave me a review to let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions for me.


	24. CH 24 A Self-Destructive Dream

**Chapter 24: A Self-Destructive Dream**

"Pika, PIKA-CHUUU!"

As the Mouse Pokémon uttered, it released a massive jolt of electricity from the pouches on its cheeks. The attack targeted a large boulder just a few feet away, but it didn't seem to have any effect at all. The spot where it hit only grew a darker shade of charcoal black. The Pikachu stood, huffing but determined, and it tried again.

"CHUUUUU!"

Once again, the attack failed to accomplish anything. The Pikachu fell to one knee, gasping for air, and looked up at the boulder for a long time. Suddenly, it became very enraged and tried once more to make the stone crumble. This time, its cheeks only crackled with a few sparks.

"Chaa?" it managed, realizing that it was out of electricity.

It shook its head a couple times and tried again anyway. Not only did it fail to produce any electricity at all, but it immediately collapsed where it stood.

* * *

><p>"That's right, Marshtomp, wash off <em>all<em> the mud," Lyla growled.

She was standing, arms crossed, and facing a building that was completely plastered with mud.

"Tomp," Marshtomp groaned, lightly hosing the wall down with Water Gun.

"Stop being so difficult and hit it with full power before someone notices what you did!" she demanded.

Marshtomp turned to her and instead, blasted _her_ with full power. It of course knocked her flat on her ass so he threw his hands up to his mouth and snorted mischievously. As she began to pull herself back up, she was suddenly trampled by Gracie and then Charo as they rushed off towards the woods.

"Gracie!" Lyla shouted. The two halted and turned around.

"Sorry, Miss Lyla! But we have to get there before it's too late!" Gracie exclaimed, flailing her arms in a panic.

"Before what's too late?" Lyla asked, standing up as Eziray's Ralts and Charmander ran off together.

"Something really bad just happened!" was all Gracie replied.

"I'm beginning to wonder if having Psychic Pokémon around is more of a blessing or a burden," Lyla muttered. "Marshtomp, finish up here! I'm gonna go see what the hell is going on."

Lyla took off and Marshtomp stared blankly after her for a few moments.

"MY HOUSE!" a woman cried out furiously.

Marshtomp turned to find a pudgy, middle-aged woman standing with bags of groceries. He grunted and backed up slowly.

"Did _you_ do this? I'm calling the police! No, you get back here!"

"Maaarsh!" Marshtomp exclaimed, zipping past Lyla.

"Done already?" she asked, turning her head and spotting the woman in the distance. "MARSHTOMP!"

She sped after him until they caught up with Eziray's Pokémon somewhere in the woods.

"Hey, so what's going on exactly?" she asked, catching Marshtomp in a headlock.

"I told you, something bad happened. Someone's in trouble," Gracie said as they made it to a clearing.

"What? That boulder is ginormous! It looks like its singed or something…" Lyla observed, walking up to the large boulder before them as Gracie, Charo and Marshtomp scurried over to the other side of it.

"Are you okay?" Gracie shouted.

Lyla rushed over and found the three crowded around something yellow and motionless on the ground.

"What is it?" Lyla wondered out loud.

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? WE NEED TO GET THIS POKÉMON TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT AWAY!" Gracie cried, flailing her arms in even more of a panic than before.

Lyla scooped up the fallen Pikachu and the four sprinted back to Mauville City.

"Where have you two been?" Eziray asked curiously as they busted into the Pokémon Center.

"Nurse Joy! This Pikachu needs help!" Gracie huffed.

"Ohh! Not again!" Nurse Joy sighed.

"_Again_?" Lyla echoed as she handed the unconscious Pokémon to Nurse Joy.

"Yes. This Pikachu has been in here at least three times a week for the last month. It's out there, at every possible chance, training until it collapses in exhaustion," Nurse Joy explained.

"Where's his trainer?" Eziray asked, walking over with Aiden.

"_She_ doesn't have a trainer. This Pikachu is wild. That's why we keep letting her go every time she gets better. Er…somewhat better. She actually breaks out on her own as soon as she regains consciousness most of the time…"

"She sounds pretty aggressive. You sure it's a girl?" Aiden asked, half joking.

"Hey! Girls can be aggressive too. Just look at Lyla!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Eziray, I'm going to murder you…" Lyla muttered.

"See?" Eziray said with a giggle.

Nurse Joy had evidently gone to tend to the Pikachu because she was no longer in the room. Lyla thought about the Pikachu for a moment. She felt bad for it and somehow felt herself growing attached. She wanted to help it but she wasn't really sure how. She didn't even know why it was behaving in such a way.

"Nurse Joy?" she asked as the nurse returned to the room.

"Yes?"

"Do you know anything else about the Pikachu? Why does she train so hard?"

"For some reason, this Pikachu feels the need to become stronger and stronger. I don't understand why she keeps doing this to herself though. She's already become very strong…"

"How strong?"

"Well, when she's not out with that boulder, she's off challenging Pokémon trainers. She hasn't lost to a single one, including Wattson himself!"

"She can beat Wattson by herself?" Lyla exclaimed in complete shock.

"Yes! And the more victories she achieves, the more she works herself. It makes no sense at all."

"She's probably just trying to bring out her full potential," Eziray suggested.

"By herself?" Lyla asked. "That's what trainers are for."

"Exactly. There is nothing more she can do here. If she wants to grow stronger, she's going to need a skilled trainer to introduce her to more difficult situations. At this point, the only thing she's going to accomplish here now is lifelong damage. Then she'll never be able to accomplish her dream," Nurse Joy explained.

"She'll be handicapped…" Lyla trailed off.

The Pikachu had just barely regained consciousness. She didn't have the strength to move but she heard every word the humans in the other room were speaking. The words sunk in deep but she tried to reject them. These humans couldn't possibly understand. They hadn't a clue. She grinded her teeth together as they spoke and she thought back to the days when she was much happier, back when she actually liked humans.

"_Pikachu, Pichu, it's time for breakfast!"_

"_Pika-pi!" a Pikachu exclaimed as she raced towards the man, her child racing along with her._

"_You're getting quite fast, young'un!" the man exclaimed, throwing the mother a wink as they both knew that she had let her daughter win._

_The two Electric-types chowed down, as did all the other Pokémon gathered in the fenced area. They were all being looked after by the man and his wife, also known as the 'Daycare Couple.' The two did their best to raise Pokémon until their trainers returned to pick them up. That Pikachu had been there for quite some time. During her stay, she'd laid an egg and that egg had hatched into the Pichu munching down its food before her._

"_Careful now, Pichu," the Daycare Woman warned. "If you keep eating so fast, you'll get a bellyache!"_

"_Pi-cha!" the hatchling exclaimed as it looked up from its now empty bowl._

_The Daycare Couple laughed and the Pichu's mother licked her daughter's face to clean her up a bit._

"_That's a splendid idea, Pikachu! Your trainer called and told us that he would return for you today. He apologizes for being away for so long, but he's decided to take you with him to Rustboro! Isn't that great? He says he's ready to start challenging gyms and he wants you with him!" the Daycare Man exclaimed._

_The Pikachu's heart sank a little. She had almost hoped not to hear from him again. He wasn't a bad trainer and the thought of being abandoned would have broken her heart. The thought of being separated from her child, however, was absolutely unbearable. She knew the kind of person her trainer was, and she knew he would have no time for a baby Pokémon. She smiled to humor the Daycare Couple, but deep down, she dreaded the very thought of his arrival._

"_Pi-chu-pi!" Pichu exclaimed, snapping Mamma Pikachu out of her thoughts._

_She nuzzled the infant and it raced off, so she followed and the two commenced a game of hide and seek, taking turns hiding and finding one another. This game went on for several hours until something went wrong. Pichu had been hiding under a bush for longer than usual, but her mother never came. It was strange because they could both smell each other so there was no way that her mother could have been stumped. Pichu sighed and raced out from under the bush, irritated with her mother for becoming occupied with something else._

"_Speak of the devil!" the Daycare Woman exclaimed as Pichu raced into the house._

"_Pichu?" the hatchling asked as her mother's face lit up and she raced to her daughter._

"_Pikachu…" a young man trailed off._

_His hair was smooth and a rich, deep brown. His eyes were a vibrant shade of blue that almost seemed to glimmer like a pair of sapphires. He reached out and petted the Pichu who stared timidly into his eyes, as if she were trying to determine whether or not he was a good person. He stroked her head gently and looked up to the Daycare Couple._

"_I can't…" he trailed off._

"_Pika?" the mother exclaimed, trying not to believe the words he was saying._

"_I can't take her, I'm sorry," he said as he slipped a hand into his pocket._

"_I understand," the Daycare Man said. "She's a joy to have and we certainly don't mind looking after her, so don't feel too bad, alright?"_

_The Pichu couldn't understand them at all. How could this boy sleep at night knowing that he was ripping her mother from her and how could these old people be perfectly fine with it? What was wrong with them? How couldn't they see that this wasn't right? Her mother tried to hold back tears as she wrapped herself around her child in an attempt to both comfort her and say goodbye. Then she disappeared right before Pichu's eyes in a red flash as the boy confined her to some sort of ball._

"_Pichu!" the hatchling exclaimed, trying to follow the boy out the door._

"_Come on Pichu, it's alright!" the Daycare Man said as he scooped her up before she could do so._

_They both watched as the boy exited the building and the idea of never seeing her mother again flooded through Pichu's mind. The Daycare Man took her outside and set her down but she didn't budge for fear of vomiting. She felt confused, shocked, and absolutely sick to her stomach. What had just happened? Was it a dream? Could it please be a dream? Just moments ago, they had been playing together and now she was gone. There had to be a way to convince that boy to let her come along. As soon as the Daycare Man returned to the house, the Pichu zipped forward, towards the fence. None of the other Pokémon had ever tried to escape before because none of them had any reason to, but Pichu did. She climbed up the fence and plopped herself down on the ground on the other side. As she looked around, that boy was nowhere to be found._

"_Chuu…" she trailed off as tears trickled down the sides of her cheeks._

* * *

><p>"You seem upset."<p>

"I'm just thinking," Lyla replied.

She and Aiden had gone off together while Eziray had some time alone to think about her gym rematch. There was still a lot of food left over from the snack shack on Slateport Beach, so they decided to have a picnic together. They were both sitting on a blanket in the middle of a park a few blocks away from the Pokémon Center. Lyla hadn't eaten much and she wasn't her usual, chatty self.

"Bout what?"

"I'm just worried about that Pikachu I found today. She can't stay here or she'll overexert herself until she inflicts permanent damage on herself…"

"Are you thinking we should bring her along with us?"

"I think it would be good for her. Besides, she's the cutest Electric Pokémon I've ever seen and she's strong. I need more power on my team. I've been losing contests because I'm just not strong enough…"

"But can you handle a Pokémon like that?"

"I'm not so sure about that. I don't even know what she's like."

"I wouldn't worry about her too much more!"

"Why not?"

"I don't know but you're a lot prettier when you're smiling so stop thinking about it!"

"Aiden…" Lyla replied, blushing.

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as a faint smile appeared on her face. She was happy to have him around; he never failed to cheer her up. The two sat quietly together like that until Lyla shifted her head so that her chin was now resting on his shoulder. She opened her mouth to speak, as if she had something important to say, but she was cut off before she could speak a word.

"SABLE-EYEEEE!" a Sableye exclaimed as it suddenly appeared on Aiden's back. Lyla jerked away from him and screamed as the Pokémon hopped down and helped itself to their sandwiches.

"Lyla, it's okay!" Aiden said as she stood up and stumbled away. "He's just hungry."

"What in the world is that thing?" she demanded as it looked up at her with its diamond-like eyes and menacing grin.

"Sorry!"

She and Aiden turned to find Noah running up to them.

"Noah?" Lyla asked as he called the Sableye to its Pokéball.

"I caught that Sableye back on Dewford but I've been having some trouble with him. Anyways, if you two are here then I'm guessing Eziray's around too. Where is she?"

"Eziray? Uh…she's at the Pokémon Center I think," Lyla replied. "Why?"

"Well I just wanted to let her know that I just beat Wattson! I hope we're caught up now."

"Actually, you're one badge ahead of her. She lost to Wattson yesterday," Aiden said.

"But Aiden didn't!" Lyla added.

"Aiden?" Noah echoed.

"Yeah, I thought I'd challenge Wattson too," Aiden said, gathering up the food and putting it away.

"Eziray's gonna be super jealous when she hears you beat Wattson too!" Lyla exclaimed as she stood so Aiden could pick up the blanket. "So how are you? It's been a while!"

"Pretty good! I spent a lot of time training on Dewford. Brawly gave me a bit of trouble, but I think my team and I are really progressing. Uhh…was that here before?"

"What?" Lyla asked, turning to find a chunk of ice towering over her. "MARSHTOMP, IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!"

"Marshtomp?" Noah echoed cocking his head at it.

"We think he's going through an odd faze because he won't stop doing this…" Aiden trailed off.

"Doing what?"

Lyla stood, hands on her hips, as she waited for Marshtomp to blast out. He didn't though. Instead, a powerful jet of water suddenly pumped out from it and knocked Lyla into a tree. _Then_ he blasted out and took a bow.

"Well, that's a new twist," Aiden said as he scooped Lyla off the ground and wrung out her hair.

"What did I ever do to _him_?" she whined as Aiden patted her on the back to comfort her.

"Tooomp!" Marshtomp exclaimed, scurrying over to hug his trainer for being such a good sport.

"I hate you…but I love you," she said as she wrapped her arms around him too.

"I feel like there'd never be a dull moment with those two around," Noah said.

"You have no idea," Aiden replied, smiling.

The three trainers set off for the Pokémon Center to meet up with Eziray and check up on the Pikachu. In spite of what Aiden had said, Lyla couldn't help but worry. As she walked in, she noticed that the Pikachu was conscious so she took a seat beside it and smiled.

"Hi, Pikachu! My name's Lyla. I'm the one who found you this morning. How are you feeling? You look like you haven't eaten in days!"

"Pika…" the Pikachu trailed off, studying her very carefully.

"Here!" she exclaimed, taking an apple from her bag and holding it out to the Mouse Pokémon. "You've got to eat something!"

"She won't take food from humans, not even me," Nurse Joy said as she walked into the room with some medicine.

"Really?" Lyla asked, turning away.

She was still holding the apple out, and to their surprise, the Pikachu reached her head out and took a bite. Nurse Joy dropped the medicine in shock.

"I can't believe it," Nurse Joy said as the Pikachu took the apple in her hands and munched it down. "I haven't been able to get her to eat…ever. Only Chansey can."

"Pika-chaaa!" the Pokémon squeaked, climbing out from the covers and crawling up Lyla's arm to her shoulder.

"Unbelievable!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as the Pikachu nuzzled Lyla's face with gratitude.

"I guess we have chemistry," Lyla said as she snatched up the Pikachu and held it out in front of her. "That's great! Maybe I can bring you along with me after all!"

"Wonderful!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, picking up the medicine from the ground. She handed the bottle to Lyla who had placed Pikachu on the ground. "Give this to her twice a day until you run out. She should be fully recovered by then."

"Thanks!" Lyla exclaimed as the Pikachu followed her out into the main room.

"Hey guys, guess what! This Pikachu–" Lyla began as the Electric-type bolted straight out the front door and off into the forest somewhere. "Was just using me to get out…"

"Darnit!" Nurse Joy cursed as she entered the room. "And here I thought she'd finally warmed up to someone…"

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be…"

Pikachu headed straight to the boulder where Lyla had found her. She stood, panting for a moment and thinking about how foolish Lyla had been. This Pikachu absolutely loathed the thought of traveling with a human. Humans were such self-centered, ignorant creatures with no respect for anything but themselves. Lyla was most likely no exception. She refused to become some tool used by a human to achieve their selfish purposes; she'd put way too much effort into bettering herself to just waste it on some stupid girl's selfish ambitions. As she thought about it, she became more and more infuriated with the human race and what they represented to her. She'd never forget that night in the wild after she'd broken free from the Daycare. She'd never forget the way that they treated her.

"_Pichu…" Pichu trailed off as she wandered Route 117._

_She hadn't really been sure which direction to take but she'd seen another trainer heading east so she thought that maybe she should go that way too. As she walked along, all she could think about was finding her mom. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the Poochyena that she had walked right over. It stood, growling and she turned, looking up at the wild Pokémon in terror._

"_Pi-chu…" she trailed off, trying to reason with it, but it was too angry to listen._

_It threw itself upon her and began to maul her as she cried out in pain. She begged and pleaded for it to stop and it finally did. The Poochyena backed off and looked over the tiny, helpless Pokémon before it. It snarled quietly and walked away. She was very grateful for the mercy it had shown, but she needed help now…she needed someone to tend to her wounds. She limped away, continuing quite some time until she found two children throwing rocks at a tree._

"_Pichu-pi!" she pleaded, tugging on one of the boy's pant legs._

"_What do you want? Shoo!" the boy shouted as he shoved her away with his foot._

_She limped right back over and tried even harder to tell the boy that she was hurt. Eventually, he started pelting her with rocks and she cowered away, wondering why he was being so cruel for no reason. What had she done to him? He surely saw that she was injured and only needed someone to help her. He didn't seem to care though. If anything, it brought a sick gleam in his eye._

"_Hey, Tyler…check out this thing!"_

"_Looks kinda beat up to me…"_

"_It probably got what it deserved. I mean look how annoying it is! It won't leave me alone. I think we should teach it a lesson…"_

_She watched as the two trainers schemed. She didn't quite understand what was going on, but what they did next completely blew her mind. They both sent out a Pokémon each – a Nincada and a Sandshrew. Then they both ordered the Pokémon to attack. Pichu tried to flee but the Pokémon trapped her and began slashing away at her. All she could hear was the tormenting laughs of the two boys as her mind slowly faded to black._

_When she came to, they were both gone and it was morning. She sat up and looked around, remembering everything that had happened the day before. Her body ached worse than she'd ever felt, and her heart ached even more. Those boys could have helped her last night. They could have taken her into town, gotten her wounds healed up, and she might have even caught up to the boy who took her mother. All hope was gone now; there was no doubt in her mind that he was long gone._

_She stood, shaking a bit, and limped as quickly as she possibly could until she reached the Mauville City limits. She raced down the streets, unsure of what else she could do. Then she happened up him: the same young man who she'd seen at the Daycare the day before, the same young man who had her mother. He was propping up his bike and getting ready to ride down the bike path to Slateport City. She threw herself onto the ground in front of him and pleaded him to take her with him._

"_You…you followed me," he said as he picked her up and set her on her feet._

_That was a good sign, she thought. Maybe he'd have a change of heart. He didn't even need to catch her, only let her come. That was all she wanted. That was all she needed. He couldn't even grant her that._

"_Sorry, kiddo. I really don't have time to be babysitting, and to be honest, I'm not really up for putting the effort in to make something out of you. There's a reason why I put your mom in the daycare. She was almost as weak as you when I did…"_

"_Pichu…" Pichu trailed off, trying to make him reconsider. All he did was ride away._

_She stood there staring after him for some time. There was no way for her to catch up. That was it. She couldn't believe it though. She couldn't quite grasp the thought of never seeing her mom again. Tears welled in her eyes and she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but all she wanted to do was run. Every bound sent pain shooting throughout her body, but at least it kept her mind off of the gaping hole that had suddenly been torn into her heart. She stopped once she reached a humungous boulder in the clearing of the surrounding forest. She plopped herself down in front of it and sobbed. _

_She remained there for quite some time, tears pouring down her face. Gradually, they slowed, and she became filled with so much rage that she had to let it all out somehow. She stood, glaring up at the large boulder before her, and gave it the biggest zap she could muster. The rock stood strong and she hit it again, concentrating every ounce of her emotion into the attack. She continued until she was too tired to try anymore and then she fell over, staring up at it with frustration. Someday, she'd shatter it. She swore it._

"CHUUUUU!" she cried as she gave the boulder everything she had.

To this day, she hadn't succeeded. Although, she had long-forgotten about that vow she had made. It was about something entirely different now. That trainer was right. She _was _weak back then…but she wasn't anymore, and she would never be again. She would be strong, terrifyingly strong, and she would never stop until she was satisfied with herself. She gave the boulder one last jolt and then collapsed in exhaustion.

* * *

><p>"Let's see, what have we got here…" Lyla said as she rummaged through a basket below the TV in their hotel room.<p>

She had to get her mind off that Pikachu somehow. It was just too depressing for her to consider the fact that it was out there somewhere, hurting itself to no end. Her fingers brushed over a series of tapes labeled 'Grand Festival' followed by a year. There wasn't a tape from the most recent Grand Festival, but there were ones documenting the three years prior. She flipped them all over to read the brief summary on the back and soon realized that the same person had won all three of them: his name was Thomas. She popped one of the tapes into the player and watched through it. She was completely awestruck by the level and capabilities of the coordinators who appealed. These coordinators were far better than Ashton, Robin, and herself. They were all more at Selena's level, maybe even better. She kept watching until Thomas took the stage.

The first thing she noticed about him was his hair. It was very unique and kind of reminded her of a dark fireball. Most of it was jet black and fell just below his ears, but the top of it was blazed with a shade of burning red. She watched as he and his Politoed completely outshined all of the other coordinators who had appealed so far. As she studied him, she began to see why he had claimed the Grand Festival Champion title three consecutive years in a row. It wasn't just their appeal that made them stand out, even though it was clearly better than anyone who had appealed thus far. Everything about him made him glow, actually. He seemed to be much more approachable than all of the other coordinators she'd seen, but maybe that was because it looked like he was just having so much fun just being on stage. She grew slightly envious of him. She really hoped that she could become a coordinator like that someday. His performance was truly inspiring to her and she knew exactly what she was going to do with Marshtomp for his preliminary appeal in their upcoming contest, and she knew that they were going to win this one.

**Author Notes:**

I'm not quite sure where the inspiration for Pikachu's background story came from, but maybe it was some subconscious protest against animal cruelty because I can totally see this happening to a cat or something. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too depressing (or too short). I look forward to you guys' feedback!


	25. CH 25 High Voltage

**Chapter 25: High Voltage**

"Welcome back!" Wattson exclaimed as Lyla wrung her hair out and Eziray stumbled dizzily off the door that had launched them through the Mauville City Gym just as it had two days before. This time, Lyla _did_ fall into the pool of water that they skidded across.

"You know there's a side door, right?" Chelsea asked as Anita snickered.

"A side door, huh?" Lyla asked as she, Noah and Aiden headed for the stairs that led to the audience's balcony-like area. "Of course we knew. We just wanted to see if we could upchuck our breakfast this morning…"

She continued to mutter about the whole ordeal all the way up the stairs as she wiped her face, wrung out her clothes, and waved her black cowgirl hat through the air.

"Don't mind her," Eziray said as she and Wattson headed to the arena together. "She's just kind of upset because she didn't know she would be going swimming today!"

Wattson belted an enthusiastic chuckle at the joke as he and Eziray took their places.

"Good luck to ya today, Eziray!" he began. "I'm very much looking forward to this rematch."

"As am I!" Eziray exclaimed.

"So what's she going to do differently this time?" Noah asked as Wattson sent out his Voltorb.

"Well, she's using her Ralts this time," Aiden replied as Eziray sent out Gracie.

"And I think she and Charo were working on some new move," Lyla added.

"Voltorb, let's start things off with Sonic Boom!"

The Voltorb released two waves of sound energy that traveled forward towards the Feeling Pokémon at great speed. Eziray grinned and ordered Gracie to use Confusion which halted the sound waves in their tracks and redirected them back at the Voltorb. They hit, but the Electric-type shook it off as if it didn't hurt a bit.

"Well, that's going to be tough to deal with," Wattson said, scratching his chin as he pondered the situation. "Let's try something else then, use Screech!"

The Voltorb let out a high-pitched screech that made almost everyone else in the room duck down and cringe. Lyla came prepared this time and stood, arms crossed triumphantly, with a pair of ear muffs resting over her ears.

"Be quiet!" Gracie whined as she wrapped her arms around her head.

"By golly, it's working, Voltorb!" Wattson exclaimed. "Now use Rollout!"

Still screeching away, Voltorb rolled forward towards Gracie. As it rolled, the sound waves of Screech traveled in every which way, echoing and changing in pitch as the Electric-type turned over itself.

"GRACIE, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Eziray shouted over the ruckus.

"I'M ON IT!" Gracie shouted back as she Teleported. Voltorb kept going and slammed right into a wall, and with that, the Screech ceased.

"Interesting…" Wattson trailed off. "What to do, what to do? Your Ralts seems to be limited in moves otherwise you wouldn't be waiting for us to attack first. I mean you don't seem like the cautious type really. Unfortunately for us, those two moves are very versatile!"

"Aren't Psychic Pokémon great?" Eziray exclaimed.

"Sure they are, but I still think Electric-types are best! Voltorb, use Spark!"

Wattson's Voltorb began sparking violently until it let off all that electricity in a single wave of voltage.

"Confusion!"

"But there's too much!" Gracie replied as she held up her arms and repelled only some of it. The rest of it surrounded her and jolted through her body.

"Gracie!" Eziray shouted as her Ralts fell to her hands and knees.

"Ouchies…" Gracie trailed off.

"And they were doing so well," Lyla said with a frown.

"Excellent!" Wattson exclaimed. "Try that again!"

Voltorb used Spark once more and Eziray ordered Gracie to use Teleport this time. When she did, however, the Voltorb simply used Spark once more and the electricity expanded across the entire arena so she'd be hit no matter where she appeared.

"Ezzie, I feel funny…" Gracie trailed off as soon as she was zapped after reappearing.

"No, don't tell me you're paralyzed!" Eziray exclaimed, triggering Wattson to smile.

"I don't think so…this is different. I've never felt anything like this before!"

"Voltorb, I think she's immobilized! Use Rollout!"

"Gracie, can you move?" Eziray demanded as the Voltorb came at her. Gracie threw up one arm in response, halting and spinning the Voltorb in place.

"Of course, but…" Gracie trailed off as she put her other hand up to her head and suddenly began to glow. "What's going on?"

Gracie, still able to hold the Confusion and keep Voltorb rotating in place, slowly began to change shape into a taller, leaner Pokémon. Once the glowing subsided, a Kirlia stood in Gracie's place.

"RIGHT ON!" Eziray exclaimed.

With a single flick of her wrist, Gracie launched the Voltorb straight back into a wall as she stepped forward slightly.

"Woah…" the Psychic-type said as she about tripped. "Such long legs…but I feel so light now!"

The Psychic-type suddenly began twirling in place as she slowly brought up one of her legs. Wattson started laughing at the sight of the joyful Pokémon until she began to release a vortex of glowing green leaves around herself.

"Razor Leaf?" Eziray asked as Gracie halted and watched the leaves fall to the ground around her.

"No, they're magic!" Gracie exclaimed. "Watch!"

The Psychic-type began twirling once again, this time shooting a mass of these leaves toward her opponent. The Voltorb rolled out of the way to dodge them, but they curved with it and chased it around the arena until they caught up and exploded against it.

"See? Magical Leaf! They hit no matter what!" Gracie exclaimed as she kept spinning and releasing them. "Isn't that neat?"

"It sure is, Gracie! Keep it up! And maybe throw some teleporting into the mix!" Gracie exclaimed.

"Certainly!" Gracie replied as she vanished and reappeared continuously, hitting the Voltorb from all sides until she knocked it out.

"Alright!" Eziray exclaimed as Anita called it.

"Hey that was pretty flashy, Ez!" Lyla called from up above. "Are contests rubbing off on you?"

"Maybe," Eziray replied with a grin.

"Fun! Fun! Fun!" Gracie exclaimed as she twirled in place.

"I'm glad you're having a good time, Gracie, but I may need you later so rest up now!"

Both sides called their Pokémon back and sent out another – Wattson sent out Manectric and Eziray sent out her Grovyle.

"I guess Gracie and Marshtomp aren't the only ones who have evolved lately," Noah observed as Speedy slashed at the air with the blade-like leaves on his arms.

"Yeah, all of our Pokémon are really growing," Lyla replied admiringly. "Being a trainer has to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!"

"Speedy! Use Quick Attack!"

The Grovyle nodded and began racing around the arena. Manectric watched him carefully, ready to spring up at any given moment.

"Just let it be, Manectric! Don't bother trying to chase it. You're not fast enough to catch it. Just wait a second!"

Manectric stood obediently, waiting for Speedy to strike. Once the Grass-type was in range, the Discharge Pokémon pounced and pinned Speedy down.

"Triiiic," Manectric growled as Speedy squirmed beneath it.

"What did I tell you? Now use Thunder!"

There was a pause and then Manectric quickly jumped off of Speedy as a massive lightning bolt struck from above. Speedy stood, slightly charred but otherwise okay.

"From the left, Speedy!" Eziray warned. "Use Detect!"

The Manectric was coming at him, full speed, so he threw up one arm to create a thin blue force field around his entire body. As the Electric-type collided with the force field, he was repelled away and tumbled through the dirt a bit.

"Hit him with Shock Wave once it's faded!"

Manectric charged up, waiting for the Detect to cease. Once it did, the Discharge Pokémon released a zigzagging wave of electricity at Speedy who responded with another Detect. The Shock Wave reflected upwards, away from Speedy, and hit Lyla instead.

"AGHHHHHHH!" Lyla cried as she lit up brightly.

"Holy shit," Noah replied as Lyla fell and Aiden dropped to his knees to catch her.

"Lyla are you okay?" he asked.

"EZIRAY!" Lyla shouted, hair standing straight up.

"Sorry, Lyla!" Eziray replied.

"Couldn't just dodge the move like anyone else would have, had to send it someplace else," Lyla muttered as Aiden helped her to her feet and she tried to tame the mess of hair sticking up in every direction on her head.

"I hope your friend's alright," Wattson said as he watched Lyla electrocute Noah by slightly brushing against him.

"She's okay! But I'd be more worried about your Manectric if I were you! Speedy, us Pound!"

Speedy charged forward, right claw glowing.

"Use Bite!"

As Speedy swung, Manectric latched onto his wrist with its powerful jaw. Then it noticed Speedy grinning.

"Perfect! Now you can't dodge this!" Eziray exclaimed. "Speedy, use Absorb!"

With his free hand, Speedy released a thick green beam of energy that wrapped around Manectric's body several times and began draining its energy much faster than Absorb usually did. As Manectric fell limp, Speedy regained all his strength and ripped his arm from the Electric-type's mouth.

"Hey I think Speedy's Absorb must have developed into Mega Drain when it evolved," Aiden said as Eziray cocked her head.

"You're right. It's much stronger now, huh? Awesome! Let's finish it up with Leaf Blade!"

Speedy ceased the Mega Drain and lifted Manectric's weakened body up into the air with one hand. With the other arm, he gave the Electric-type a swift strike with his glowing leaf-like blades. Manectric tumbled through the dirt and remained motionless before the gym leader.

"Manectric is unable to battle! Speedy the Grovyle wins!" Chelsea called.

"Great job, Speedy!" Eziray exclaimed as she called her Grass-type back to its ball. "I think Charo can handle whatever's next, but I want you to take a break in case he can't!"

"I like your strategy, Eziray!" Wattson praised as he called his Manectric back to its ball. "It's definitely much easier on your Pokémon."

"Thanks!" Eziray replied. "Plus, if any of my previous Pokémon have an extra advantage against your last one, I want them in good health if I need them!"

"That's true too! Especially since my last Pokémon is going to be Magneton!"

As Wattson sent out his final Pokémon, Eziray grinned and sent out hers too. Both Pokémon stared each other down for a moment, remembering their battle from just two days before.

"Up until this point, it's been a completely different battle than from her first, but now Charo's up against Magneton again," Aiden said in an attempt to fill Noah in.

"And he's gonna win!" Lyla exclaimed. "Because they've been working on some super-secret, super-cool new move for Charo to use!"

"Alright Magneton, we're way too far behind for my liking so let's knock this one out with a quickness. Use Zap Cannon!"

"Oh no you don't! Charo, are you ready to use that new move of yours?"

"Char!" the Charmander exclaimed.

"Alright then do it! Use Smokescreen!"

"Smokescreen?" Lyla echoed, somewhat surprised yet disappointed.

Charo started to use Flamethrower but stopped once a large fire ball had accumulated in his mouth. Then he swallowed it, coughed a little, and began spewing out a thick cloud of smoke that filled the area and completely hid Charo beneath it.

"Eziray, that's not how a Pokémon is supposed to use Smokescreen!" Aiden shouted as he began choking on the smoke.

"We can do whatever we want!"

"He's gonna hurt himself like that! Teach him to do it the right way," Aiden argued.

"We're _working _on it!" Eziray shouted. "Now use Flamethrower, Charo!"

Before Magneton could react, a blast of fire appeared from the wisps of smoke and torched it. The Electric-type winced and tried shaking it off as another one came, but it was way off this time. Several more fired out completely randomly and none of them hit.

"Well, we may not be able to see where that Charmander is, but it appears that he has no idea where Magneton is either…"

"I said we're _working_ on it!" Eziray repeated.

"Magneton, use Supersonic!"

The Magneton began emitting circular sound waves into the dark cloud until Charo came stumbling out of it, eyes glowing red in confusion. The first thing he noticed was the Magneton floating overhead, and his first reaction was to fly up there with a single flap of his wings. He of course had no wings and this only resulted in an ungraceful trip, face-first into the ground.

"Damnit!" Eziray muttered.

"Now use Sonic Boom!"

The Magneton released three crescent-shaped sound waves, one from each of its magnets. Charo looked up at them as they came and, in spite of Eziray's desperate pleas, he didn't try to avoid them. Instead, he opened his mouth and tried to eat them. Fortunately, the resulting explosion seemed to snap him out of his confusion.

"Chaaaaaah," the Fire-type gagged, trying to get rid the terrible feeling in his mouth.

"I can't believe you tried to _eat_ them!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Hey, it's not _his_ fault!" Lyla called from up above.

"Stop getting distracted, Eziray!" Noah shouted, pointing at the Tri Attack headed straight for Charo.

"Oh crap! Counter that with Flamethrower!"

Charo did just so, and the two attacks met in midair, trying to force back one another. Pretty soon, small amounts of smoke began spurting out of Charo's mouth with the Flamethrower.

"Eziray, that's from not using Smokescreen the right way. That's not good…" Aiden trailed off.

"No, that's perfect! If he keeps it up, we can blind the Magneton and maybe–"

Before Eziray could finish her thought, Charo ceased the Flamethrower in a coughing fit as he choked on his own smoke. This allowed the Tri Attack to continue forward and hit.

"CHARO!" Eziray cried.

"Now let's finish this up, Magneton! Use Supersonic!"

Charo looked up at his opponent as the sound waves traveled towards him. He avoided them by jumping out of the way towards the nearby wall which he used to launch himself towards his opponent. Then he opened his mouth and blinded it with another cloud of Smokescreen.

"Better, Charo!" Aiden exclaimed.

"He did it right that time?" Lyla asked.

"Charo's a very intelligent Pokémon. He must have figured out how to make it work on his own," Aiden replied as Charo landed on Magneton from up above.

"I agree with Wattson. Let's finish this up!" Eziray exclaimed. "With Flamethrower!"

Panicked, the Magneton let off a Zap Cannon but Charo was careful enough to duck down away from the magnets that were releasing the electricity. Then he blasted Magneton toward the ground with a smoldering jet of fire. As they lowered from the cloud of smoke, everyone gasped; Magneton's body was so hot that it was glowing bright, burning red. Pretty soon, it was too weak to stay levitating and it fell straight down to the ground like a cannon ball, Charo still on its back. Once the dust settled, the Fire-type hopped off of his fallen opponent and raced to Eziray as Anita called the match.

"WE WON!" Eziray exclaimed as she grabbed Charo by the arms and danced around with him.

"This means…" Wattson trailed off with a sigh. "I've lost a battle every day this week!"

"Oh that's right…" Eziray trailed off. "I'm sorry Wattson! Please don't be discouraged!"

"Don't worry, child! I've definitely got ahold of myself now. I know you're all strong trainers and I can't wait to see you all competing in the Pokémon League!"

Noah, Aiden, and Eziray grinned. Eziray was about to say something in response but then the Pikachu from the day before suddenly bolted into the room. Wattson gasped and she looked up at him, ready for a fight.

"Not you again…" he trailed off. "Most of my Pokémon are in no condition for a challenge right now, Pikachu, and I'm too pooped anyway!"

"Pikaaa…" she growled, sparks violently snapping away from her cheeks.

"I'll take care of it, Wattson," Anita said, raising a Pokéball.

"Wait a minute, Anita!" Lyla called from above. "_I_ wanna battle her!"

"Cha?" Pikachu scoffed. This particular human had a lot of nerve. Did she really expect to win?

The Pikachu ignored Lyla as she ran out onto the arena, Marshtomp's ball in hand. The Electric-type had no desire whatsoever to accept Lyla's challenge. Wattson was the only person in the room that this Pikachu had any interest in, so Lyla knew she'd have to use some persuasion tactics to get it to pay any attention to her.

"Marshtomp, come on out!" she exclaimed, releasing Marshtomp into the arena. "Hey, take a look!"

Pikachu turned her head slightly, glaring at the stubborn girl and the Water-type Pokémon she'd just sent out.

"You've already defeated Wattson, haven't you? You know you can beat him! I think Marshtomp would be much more of a challenge for you because–"

Before she could finish, the Pikachu gave Marshtomp a powerful zap of Thunderbolt to show her how weak Water-types were against Electric-type attacks. To the Mouse Pokémon's surprise, however, Marshtomp wasn't affected by it at all.

"Pika?" the Electric-type said as she cocked her head in disbelief.

"Have you ever met a Ground-type before, Pikachu? Marshtomp is both Water and Ground. Your Electric-type attacks won't even faze him. So, as I was saying, if you defeat him then that'll really be saying something about how powerful you are!"

The Pikachu was convinced and she grinned in response to Lyla's challenge, letting the human know that she accepted it. Lyla smiled back and called the first move.

"Alright Marshtomp, let's use Mud Shot!"

Marshtomp nodded and opened his mouth, releasing a blast of thick mud. Pikachu zipped out of the way in a sudden flash of Quick Attack and darted back-and-forth through the room so Marshtomp couldn't hit her.

"What a mess!" Anita whined. "Wattson, I could take care of this in like two seconds!"

"Hush, Anita! We need a more permanent solution to this problem. Maybe this girl has what it takes…"

Pikachu soon began to realize that the dry land she had to run on was gradually dwindling away as slippery mud began to accumulate all over the arena. With one quick shove, she sprang up and bounced off of a wall, landing in the mud and shooting straight for Marshtomp.

"Clever," Aiden said as the Electric-type knocked Marshtomp down like a bowling pin. "Using a disadvantage to her advantage."

"I think Lyla bit off more than she can chew," Noah said.

"No, she's totally got this!" Eziray shouted, running out onto the balcony to get a better view of the action. "She's improved so much since you first met her. I know she can handle this puny little Pikachu!"

"Eziray's right. Don't underestimate our girl," Aiden said as he watched Lyla's face light up as if she'd realized something.

"Okay, what if the _entire_ arena was muddy?" she thought to herself as she told Marshtomp to keep it up.

"Pika…" the Pikachu trailed off as she watched Marshtomp hose down the arena with Mud Shot.

As she stood, wondering why he wasn't even aiming for her, he reached her corner with it and she zipped out of the way, using the wall once more to launch herself at her opponent. But this time, Marshtomp just slid out of the way and Lyla ordered him to use Ice Beam on the spot where he had stood. There was no way for the Pikachu to stop or even slow down, so she crashed right through the thick ice mound blocking her path. As she slipped and spun out of control, Lyla told Marshtomp to set up several more ice mounds like that one so he could move around on them.

"Marshtomp!" the Mud Fish Pokémon taunted as Pikachu came to an eventual stop at the base of the icy platform that he was standing on.

She looked up at him furiously and used Thunder which he dodged by jumping to another ice mound, even though he didn't really need to; he just wanted to show off the fact that he could get around the arena and she couldn't. She stood up and attempted to climb onto the ice mound before her but her entire ventral side was coated in slick mud so she just slid right off.

"Good job guys!" Eziray called.

The trainer's praise ticked off the wild Electric-type even more and she directed that anger into a Thunderbolt aimed right at Eziray, since it would have been useless to take it out on Marshtomp. Eziray ducked and shouted at the Pokémon as it grinned in satisfaction. Then it looked back at Marshtomp in time to see a shot of mud coming right it. She quickly brought up a Light Screen in an attempt to shield herself but she was still driven back into the wall.

"You're doing great Marshtomp! It's only a matter of time before she's down for the count!"

What was _that_ supposed to mean? What exactly was Lyla trying to accomplish here? Was she trying to _catch_ her? As these questions raced through the Pikachu's mind, she began to realize that she was to have no say in the matter if this were the case. She felt trapped, and for most Pokémon, that was terrifying. To her, however, it was infuriating. In an act of rage and desperation, the Pikachu began to direct as many jolts of Thunderbolt at Marshtomp as she could. Lyla nodded and he began to glow brightly as his body absorbed the energy of the attacks with Bide.

"I hope you have some shades tucked away with those ear plugs," Lyla said to Wattson and his underlings as she shielded her eyes which were glimmering with slight revenge for what these people had put her through during these past two visits.

Pikachu cried out angrily as she let off one final Thunderbolt, but just when she released it, Marshtomp let off a tremendous amount of energy – double the amount he had absorbed. In a single flash, the Pikachu was blown back _clear through_ the wall and fell several stories down to the ground outside. Lyla raced for the stairs and exited the building as quickly as she could, Wattson and the others following close behind. The gym leader didn't even seem to notice the enormous black scorch marks now stretching across the walls around all four sides of his arena.

"Alright, Pokéball…" Lyla trailed off as she reached for a Pokéball once she found the fallen Pikachu, lying motionless in a nearby alley.

"WAIT!" Wattson called.

"What's wrong?"

"Try this one instead!" he replied, tossing her a ball that was black in the place of red and had yellow streaks forming an 'H' across the top. "That Ultra Ball is one of the most effective Pokéballs out there. This Pikachu is much too stubborn for a normal one to do the trick. Hopefully that one will do it for you!"

"Thanks!" Lyla exclaimed as she gave it a hurl and it sucked the Pikachu within.

Everyone watched as it rocked steadily and stopped, indicating a catch. Lyla's face lit up as she made her way over to pick it up. She thanked Wattson again and he told her that he was happy to see it go to a capable trainer who would take much better care of it than it took care of itself. She blushed at the compliment and ran her fingers along the grooves of the Ultra Ball in her hands. Then she looked up at the gaping hole in the side of the building and gasped an apology. He chuckled, more out of uneasiness than anything, and told her not to worry about it.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Pikachu…"<p>

Lyla was sitting on her bed with some medicine in her lap that Nurse Joy had given it to her when she went with Eziray to the Pokémon Center just after they had left Wattson's gym. Her newly caught Pikachu was standing at the foot of the bed staring up at her with a mixture of negative emotions evident in her expression. This was the first time Lyla had let her out of the ball since she got her; she knew she'd have to give this one time and space.

"Can I get you to eat something? Please? You'll feel much better if you do! Don't make me force you…"

She spooned out some of the medicine and mixed it into a bowl of Pokémon food. Then she set it down in front of Pikachu and watched. The Pikachu knew that refusing to eat wouldn't get her anywhere so she sat down and ate the food reluctantly. Lyla smiled and, in her mind, recited what she was going to say next. There was a long pause, and then she finally spoke.

"I know something bad happened to you," she began. Pikachu stopped and looked up at her so she continued. "Gracie told me she can see it your eyes. She senses sadness and rage that run very deep…I don't know what happened to you and I know it's none of my business, but I'm thinking that's maybe why you don't seem to like people too much. I understand that, so I'll try to give you as much space as you need. When you're all better and I'm certain that you're not going to hurt yourself again, I'll even release you if you want me to…but…if you stay with me, then I promise to do whatever I can to make your dream come true!"

Pikachu frowned and continued eating. She didn't believe her. She didn't _want_ to believe her. She just couldn't trust a human, not after everything she'd been through. She truly believed that it was only a matter of time before Lyla hurt her too and she refused to be vulnerable to that.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>So I guess the moral of the story is to not give Lyla a hard time or she'll blow a hole in the side of your gym…This chapter's a little short, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Be sure to leave a review if you have any suggestions or requests or anything ^^ (And yes, I was listening to AC/DC when I wrote these Wattson battles – hence the title).


	26. CH 26 The Third Time's a Charm?

**Chapter 26: The Third Time's a Charm?**

"Hello there," a receptionist said as Lyla about collided into her desk.

"IS IT TOO LATE?" Lyla demanded.

The woman looked up at the clock on the wall and smiled, letting Lyla know that they'd be accepting entries for the next two hours. Lyla let out a sigh of relief and took a moment to catch her breath. She had been so worried about the Pikachu these past two days that she had completely forgotten to register for the Mauville City Pokémon Contest. Once she calmed down a bit, she turned back to the receptionist and registered Marshtomp for his debut contest.

"Perfect! We'll see you on stage in a few hours. Good luck!" the receptionist exclaimed as she handed back Lyla's Contest Pass and a piece of paper with information about the contest.

"Thank you!" Lyla exclaimed.

* * *

><p>"Hello everyone! My name is Vivian and I would like to welcome you all to the official Mauville City Pokémon Contest!" Vivian announced as she walked out onto the simple dirt arena.<p>

The contest arena was located just a few blocks away from the Pokémon center. There was a set of bleachers surrounding three of the four sides of it and the other side was bordered by the street running parallel with it. It wasn't the most extravagant contest arena, but contests were a little unpopular in Mauville City because people typically visited for the Game Corner alone. The open air was pretty nice though. Who cared if it wasn't as glitzy as the other two contests? It was official, there was a ribbon to be won, and that was all that mattered to Lyla.

"Today, our contest will be judged by Mr. Sukizo of the Pokémon Fan Club and Mauville City's very own Nurse Joy. Your third judge, as well as your _mistress _of ceremonies, will be none other than me!" Vivian continued as she posed for a photographer.

"That's a new one," Aiden said, scanning the judge panel for Raoul Contesta.

"He's been called to a very important meeting concerning top secret contest affairs," Eziray concluded with a nod as she stroked Skitty's head. Since Lyla wouldn't be competing with her, she decided to watch the contest from Eziray's lap. Pikachu and Eevee were sitting quietly in between the two trainers because Lyla wanted them to both be watching the contest. Eevee was very focused on the arena below, but Pikachu couldn't care less.

"Really? How'd you find that out?"

"Lyla told me!"

"I should have known…"

"Today, our coordinators will be competing for this: the Mauville City Ribbon!" Vivian exclaimed, holding up the prize.

It was a deep red ribbon outlined by a thick border of white. The golden metal piece at the center resembled a poker chip, only it had the official Hoenn contest symbol etched into the center of it. This ribbon had been designed in honor of Mauville City's main attraction – the Mauville City Game Corner.

"Hey guys," Noah greeted, taking a seat next to Eziray.

"Hey, you came!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Yeah, I wanted cheer Lyla on. By the way…does _this_ belong to you?"

"What?" Aiden and Eziray replied in unison as he pointed to girl plowing her way up the bleachers.

"Oh no…" Aiden trailed off.

"AIDEEEEEEEEEEN!" she screamed as they made eye contact and she pretty much kicked some kid in the face so she could scurry up and sit next to boy of her dreams.

"Why didn't anyone tell me we were going anywhere? I wandered all over Slateport looking for you! Then I rented a bike so I could get to Mauville without getting eaten by the monster on Route 110. Then all these mean bikers chased me and I ripped my new dress and Jigglypuff fell into a lake and almost got eaten by a weird piranha-looking Pokémon and then–"

"Pl-please stop talking…" Aiden finally said in the middle of her ramble. She didn't stop but Vivian walking off the arena was enough to distract him from the girl's blabbering – it meant that the contest was starting.

Surprisingly enough, the first couple of appeals were pretty good. In spite of the fact that it was a smaller contest, there were certainly some talented coordinators competing in it. The prize ribbon wasn't a freebie in any way; Lyla would still have to work hard for it if she wanted it. There were fifteen entrants total and, being the last to register, Lyla was fifteenth to take the stage.

"Our next coordinator comes to us from Lavaridge Town! She's a bit of a newbie but she has an impressive history winning the first contest she ever competed in, although it was unofficial. Since then, she's competed in two others, making it to the final round in one and the semi-finals in the other. I'm counting on her to give us a very nice performance today!"

"Uh…where is she?" Noah asked scanning the other fourteen coordinators, standing in a line to the side of the arena.

"Good question. Haven't seen her since it started…" Eziray trailed off.

"I hope Marshtomp didn't end up giving her trouble after all," Aiden said with a frown. "She deserves a shot at this ribbon…"

"Well, I think somebody's just got stage fright!" Olivia exclaimed. "I mean I would too if I kept losing all _my_ contests like she does!"

"Would you shut the hell up already?" Noah barked, unable to take any more of this insufferable girl's mindless comments. Then he muttered to himself about how much she'd pestered him on the way to the contest once she found out he was friends with Aiden and Eziray.

"Lyla?" Vivian repeated, looking around for the last contestant.

Lyla took a deep breath as she turned the corner and walked into the arena with a grin, carting a large block of ice along behind her. The audience and judges watched curiously as she and the cart came to a halt right at the edge of the stage.

"There she is!" Eziray exclaimed. "I was getting worried…Hey, is she doing what I think she's doing?"

"This should be a good demonstration of Marshtomp's personality," Aiden said as he pulled an umbrella out from under his seat.

"What's that for?" Noah asked.

"The unpredictable," he replied as he jerked it open.

"Okay, Marshtomp, come on out!" Lyla exclaimed.

The ice block suddenly began to crack as water spouted out of it until it completely shattered, lightly spraying the audience with a mixture of water and ice. Aiden twirled his umbrella to dry it off, already thankful he'd brought it along.

"Marsh-tomp!" the Mud Fish Pokémon exclaimed excitedly, raising his arms with the cheers of the crowd.

"What a creative entrance!" Vivian exclaimed. "Folks, get ready for a great appeal!"

"Alright you little ham, now use Ice Beam!" Lyla ordered as Marshtomp continued to bask in his glory.

With a single breath, Marshtomp froze the entire stage solid. With a few more breaths, he sculpted several mounds of ice all around it as he had done in Wattson's gym the day before.

"Perfect! Now shatter them with a Bide-Tackle combo!"

The Water and Ground Pokémon leapt forward, skating across the ice as his entire body began to glow. He slid forward with great force and began smashing into the mounds. Each collision sent thousands of tiny, shimmering chunks of ice into the air as the crowd cheered once more.

"Tomp…" Marshtomp grunted after shattering the last mound.

He glided gracefully to the center of the stage and stopped as he released all of Bide's built up energy in a blinding flash of light. When the stage was visible again, it was revealed that all of the ice had vanished and left behind a soggy dirt arena.

"Wow, the energy from Bide must have melted the ice. What a clean-up job!" Vivian praised.

"That Marshtomp's power is quite astounding, but I liked how controlled it was and how it was able to be channeled into such a pretty performance," Nurse Joy added.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo concluded.

"Marsh-TOMP!" Marshtomp exclaimed as he twirled, shooting a fountain of mud into the air. It was pretty, but it also splattered onto many of the audience members and Lyla put her hand to the side of her head.

"Hey, keep that improv stuff to a minimum, would'ja?" she muttered as they both took a bow.

"Alright everyone! That concludes our preliminary round of today's contest. For the next ten minutes, us judges will be deciding which four coordinators will be advancing to the next round. During this time, you are free to buy snacks and beverages from our vendors, meet and greet with the coordinators or just stretch your legs a bit. See you back soon!"

"Pika-pi," Pikachu griped, arms crossed in dissatisfaction.

"No, she wasn't talking to you. I'm still responsible for making sure you don't go anywhere!" Eziray replied.

The Electric-type rolled her eyes and watched as Eevee and Skitty raced down to greet their trainer and teammate. Lyla kneeled down to receive them both in her arms at the base of the bleachers and Pikachu scowled as she looked away. Lyla and her other three Pokémon then made their way up the bleachers so she could talk to her friends, but she noticed Olivia and groaned a little.

"Olivia! Hi! Nice of you to make it," she said sarcastically.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Olivia replied in the same tone.

"So you're doing an amazing job out there," Noah complimented in an attempt to keep the situation from escalating. It worked.

"Thanks, Noah!" Lyla exclaimed. "It's really all Marshtomp out there though. He does stuff like that on a regular basis, so why not showcase it? You're doing such a great job, my little superstar and I'm so sorry I doubted you!"

"Maaaarsh!" Marshtomp exclaimed, hugging her around the legs and lifting her into the air.

"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN!" she begged as he squeezed hard in a passionate embrace.

"Hey Marshtomp, I'll give you some Pokéblock if you drop her…" Olivia whispered. He replied by knocking her off the bleachers with Water Gun.

"THAT MONSTER!" Olivia screamed from the ground as Marshtomp gently lowered Lyla back down.

"Honey, he barely takes orders from me. What makes you think he'd listen to you?" Lyla muttered. "OH! Pikachu! What'd you think?"

The Mouse Pokémon said nothing in response and it was very clear by her expression that she was not at all amused. She hated people using Pokémon for contests more than she hated people using Pokémon for battling. All she saw out there was people exploiting and humiliating their Pokémon for other people's entertainment. Even though the Pokémon seemed like they were having a great time doing it, she refused to believe otherwise.

"Well, alright then," Lyla said, unsure of what else to do.

"Hey, Vivian's walking back out," Aiden mentioned before Lyla could let Pikachu's reaction get to her.

"Alright, in no particular order, I will now announce the four coordinators who have earned their chance to battle for the Mauville City Ribbon! First up, we'll have Alexis and Morgan. Then, we'll have Lyla and Demetri!"

"CONGRATZ!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Better get down there," Aiden replied with a grin.

"Right," Lyla said. "Here comes the part I always mess up…"

"Marshtomp's going to tear them to pieces," Aiden assured. "Just think about what he did to Wattson's gym yesterday."

"Oh boy…" Noah trailed off uneasily, praying those bleachers wouldn't suffer the same fate.

"Hehe," Lyla replied, modestly rubbing the back of her head before turning and leading Marshtomp back down to the sidelines.

"I don't think that umbrella will protect you much from explosions…" Eziray trailed off as she nudged the muddy, rolled up thing with her foot.

"Let's just hope he doesn't rip it up _that_ much," Aiden replied quietly as Olivia finally made it back to her seat beside him.

"You know, I didn't even notice that Pikachu before. It's so cute and–"

Before Olivia could finish her statement, the Pikachu in question gave her a vicious glare that completely shut her up for a moment.

"What is _up_ with her Pokémon?" she eventually whispered to Aiden.

Eleven of the fifteen coordinators dispersed, two of them in tears, and the four who were called remained. An older woman named Morgan took her spot on the arena and a young girl, maybe in her twenties, positioned herself across from Morgan. Alexis smiled in spite of Morgan's solemn glare and both girls released their Pokémon – Alexis sent out a Loudred and Morgan sent out a Claydol. Alexis seemed to be in the same boat as Lyla; she and her Loudred battled with impressive style and grace but they just weren't strong enough to defeat Morgan's Claydol. The match was called two minutes in and Morgan would be continuing to the final round with her Claydol. Lyla and her opponent Demetri were up next.

"Ready Marshtomp?" she asked as she and Marshtomp positioned themselves on the field.

"Good luck!" the other coordinator exclaimed as he sent out his Beedrill.

"You too!" Lyla replied. "Marshtomp, let's start things off with Water Gun!"

The Mud Fish Pokémon nodded, releasing a powerful yet controlled jet of water from its mouth. Demetri quickly ordered his Beedrill to boost its speed with Agility and get out of the way. The Bug-type zipped away of the incoming attack, disappearing for a moment and reappearing a couple feet away. It continued to zip around overhead, moving so quickly that it would vanish and reappear like this several more times. The crowd was quite taken by its amazing speed.

"Great work!" Demetri exclaimed. "Now use Twineedle!"

The Poison Bee Pokémon zipped down, appearing next to Marshtomp, and rapidly jabbed it with its two arm stingers. It continued to buzz around Marshtomp, stabbing him repeatedly from every angle until the Water-type managed to reach out and grab ahold of its two stingers. The two struggled with each other for a moment, trying to overpower one another.

"We're not losing this one, Marshtomp. Slow that Beedrill down with Ice Beam!"

Marshtomp, cracked his mouth open, revealing an icy orb charging up inside his mouth. The Beedrill stopped squirming and began lifting its body upwards.

"Wait, Marshtomp! Look out for the stinger below its abdomen!" Lyla shouted as she suddenly realized what the Bug-type was doing.

Marshtomp gave up on Ice Beam and looked down in time to notice Beedrill's stinger angling towards him. It pricked him a little as he released his opponent in order to back away. A tiny amount of the Beedrill's venom coursed through his body, making it tingle a bit but there wasn't enough to do any real damage. Lyla let out a sigh of relief as Marshtomp poked at the small puncture mark on his stomach.

"That was a close one," Noah said.

"They better get it together!" Eziray exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You're doing fabulous, Beedrill! Now use Aerial Ace!"

The Bug-type whizzed up into the air and then came back down at great speed, body engulfed in white energy that trailed along behind it. It hit Marshtomp several times with Aerial Ace until Lyla ordered him to use Bide. Demetri wasn't stupid though; he ordered Beedrill to stop as soon as she called the move.

"Nice try, but we know better. Beedrill, let's take this time to use Double Team!"

As Marshtomp stood, glowing, the Beedrill multiplied into a whole swarm and began buzzing around above the arena.

"Destroy the fakes with Water Gun!"

Marshtomp's glowing subsided and he stepped forward, readying himself for Water Gun, but then the Beedrill began circling around him in a massive blur.

"Speed it up!" Demetri exclaimed.

The blur became even more unclear as the Beedrill used Agility once more, each of them speeding up so much that it was impossible to detect any of them. Marshtomp watched as they blew around him like a tornado, trapping him within a gust of powerful wind that echoed with their loud buzzes.

"Holy shit…" Lyla trailed off, completely overwhelmed by the situation.

"Two minutes left!" Vivian announced.

"This isn't looking very good. She hasn't hit that Beedrill once and she's running out of time," Aiden said. "Come on guys, knock it out!"

"You can do it, Lyla! Stay calm!" Eziray cheered.

"I'm trying!" Lyla thought to herself as she and Marshtomp watched the horde racing around him.

"Poison Sting!"

"Marshtomp, look out!" Lyla shouted as the Beedrill dropped down, one-by-one, dive-bombing Marshtomp with their poisonous stingers. The Water-type responded by dodging but there were way too many coming at him.

"Water Gun!" Lyla ordered, hoping it would help him out a little. He managed to knock out a couple of the fakes, but they were still coming at him too quickly for him to hit them all. Three of them had managed to dig their stingers into him so far and it was only a matter of time before he'd become too poisoned to go on.

"I don't care how small this contest is. We're not about to lose at stage one!" Lyla exclaimed. "Marshtomp, forget them. Hit the entire hive with Ice Beam!"

Marshtomp allowed two more Beedrill to pierce him with their stingers as he lifted his head and blew out a thin, crystalize breath of air up towards the sky. It spread out and clung to the Beedrill's wings, making it harder for them to move. Eventually, they slowed to almost a complete stop and Lyla waited for them to drift into a line before ordering Marshtomp to use Water Gun. He aimed just right and blasted the first one in the line, creating a domino effect until the last fake was blasted into the real Beedrill, sending him crashing into the bleachers as a family fled in terror to avoid it.

"I don't think he's out yet, do you?" Lyla asked with a grin.

Marshtomp shook his head side-to-side excitedly before freezing the Beedrill into a massive chunk of ice. Its sudden gain in mass caused it come tumbling down the bleachers back into the arena. Marshtomp held out his foot to stop it like a soccer ball and then picked it up to hold it over his head. The crowd cheered excitedly, expecting him to do something with it, so he did.

"Maaaaarsh-TOOOMP!" the Water-type shouted as he tossed the ball into the air and shattered it with a single punch. Beedrill fell motionless to the ground and Marshtomp stood, both arms sticking straight up into the air as glimmering shards of ice rained down over him.

"You're too funny," Lyla said, making her way towards him. "Such a little showoff…hey, you can stop posing like that now. Marshtomp?"

Her Pokemon said nothing and held the same pose and facial expression as he fell straight back into her arms like a cardboard cutout.

"Marshtomp!" she exclaimed as she tried to stand him back up. "HOW MUCH POISON HAVE YOU GOT IN YOUR SYSTEM?"

"Oh my goodness!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as she rushed over to take a look at Marshtomp. "I can't believe he held in this long with that much of Beedrill's poison coursing through him…"

"No worries, he'll be fine," Lyla said, squirting his puncture wounds with a bottle of antidote.

"I think so too," Nurse Joy said, handing him a handful of Pecha Berries. "Alright, let's get started with the final round!"

"Phew!" Eziray exclaimed. "Almost there, Lyla, keep it up!"

Lyla grinned back up at her friend and took Marshtomp back to reposition him as Morgan came back out onto the field and let out her Claydol.

"Alright, Claydol. Let's begin now with Sunny Day!" Morgan ordered.

The Claydol hummed as one of its eyes began to glow reddish white and released a beam of energy into the sky. In moments, the sun's brightness intensified and beat down on everyone below it.

"Things are heating up now!" Vivian exclaimed as she brought a hand up to shade her eyes.

"Then we're cooling it back down! Use Water Gun!" Lyla ordered.

"Useless," Morgan said as Marshtomp attempted to spray Claydol with Water Gun. "Psychic!"

Each of Claydol's eyes began to glow blue as the Water Gun came to a stop and curled around, spiraling back into Marshtomp. The impact pushed him down but didn't really hurt him too bad. As he stood, Lyla noticed the dull colors of a slight rainbow lingering in the Water Gun's path. It must have had something to do with the sunlight's increased brightness and, although no one else seemed to notice it, Lyla tucked that memo away for later.

"Claydol, now use Solar Beam!"

"Solar Beam?" Lyla echoed as a bright green beam shot from one of Claydol's eyes towards Marshtomp. "Dodge it!"

"What a great move to teach a Claydol," Noah observed as Marshtomp dove out of the way. "And with Sunny Day, it doesn't even have to charge. Now she can handle Water-types no problem even though they normally have an advantage over Claydol since it's part Ground."

"Unfortunately, Marshtomp is part Ground _and_ part Water. That move's going to inflict some serious damage if it hits," Aiden added.

"Ah, type-advantages don't always determine the match!" Eziray shot back. "Calm down you two! Marshtomp's gonna sink that Claydol into the ground!"

"Someone better let her know, because she's looking a little worried," Noah replied.

"No, she's just thinking," Aiden said with a smile.

"Marshtomp, we can't let Solar Beam hit," Lyla began. "I need you to hit Claydol with Ice Beam!"

Marshtomp frowned but obeyed his trainer. Morgan let out a cackling sound that sent shivers down Lyla's spine and then she spoke.

"Foolish girl! Did you forget about _Psychic_?" she mocked as her Claydol redirected the Ice Beam.

"Of course not! I was actually kind of anticipating it, to be perfectly honest. Marshtomp, use Bide!"

"GENIUS!" Eziray shouted as she stood and watched Marshtomp glowing brightly as the redirected Ice Beam froze him solid.

"Goodness!" Morgan exclaimed as the chunk of ice exploded and Bide's brilliant light emitted from within as it released the absorbed energy. It wasn't much but it was enough to shine into each of Claydol's eyes. The Clay Doll Pokémon cringed, completely blinded.

"Now use Water Gun!"

As Claydol rubbed some of its eyes, Marshtomp managed to hit it with Water Gun, sending it tumbling back to its trainer's feet.

"Get up, Claydol!" Morgan hissed. "Use Solar Beam!"

It rose and let off a distraught hum as it focused on Marshtomp who was standing proudly just a few feet away.

"I seem to recall Grass being kind of weak to Ice attacks," Lyla said. "Marshtomp, use Ice Beam to counter!"

Marshtomp thwarted the incoming Solar Beam with his Ice Beam. The two moves pushed on each other for a brief moment before Ice Beam quickly dominated, ripping through the Solar Beam like a sharp dagger.

"Rapid Spin!"

The Claydol gave up on Solar Beam and promptly began to spin in place. Marshtomp's Ice Beam was deflected and the Claydol advanced forward, slamming into Marshtomp like a spinning top.

"Marshtomp!" Lyla exclaimed as he stood and shook himself and the Claydol steadied itself in place, still revolving at breakneck speed.

"Two minutes left!" Vivian exclaimed.

"We won't need it! Use Solar Beam!"

Claydol kept its Rapid Spin going and began shooting off Solar Beam in every direction. No matter where Marshtomp went, he couldn't avoid them and he began taking one hit after another. The hits were ultra-effective and his health quickly dwindled down.

"Jump up and use Mud Shot on the ground below it!" Lyla ordered before too many could hit.

"Claydol, look out!" Morgan warned as Marshtomp hosed down the ground at its feet. "Use your Levitate ability!"

It was too late. The Claydol was too overwhelmed with all the multitasking it was doing and it couldn't pick itself off the ground before it began spinning out of control in the slick pool of mud beneath it. Its humming grew more and more distressed as went whirling forward, coincidentally in Marshtomp's direction.

"Look out!" Eziray shouted from the stands.

"We can handle it," Lyla replied. "Marshtomp, Water Gun!"

Marshtomp caught it with an ongoing fountain of water that kept it spinning faster and faster. The sun was still shining brightly so it reflected a vivid display of color off of the mist from Marshtomp's Water Gun, creating a transparent orb-shaped rainbow around Claydol as it was drowned in the Water-type attack.

"That's magnificent!" Vivian praised, awestruck by the colors as everyone else was.

"Now Tackle it!"

Marshtomp's Water Gun ceased as he charged forward and slammed into his opponent with more force than he ever had before. The impact was so strong that even Marshtomp winced in pain as the Claydol was slammed back into the ground at its trainer's feet. Surprisingly enough, the Claydol floated back up and lowered itself back down to its feet.

"Good work!" Morgan exclaimed as it shook itself.

"That Claydol's got a lot of stamina! Unfortunately, that concludes this match as the time is now up!" Vivian announced. "Please excuse me while the judges and I decide who will take home the Mauville City Ribbon!"

The judges gathered and began to whisper about the battle they'd just witnessed. Lyla sighed and wrapped her arms around Marshtomp. A contest without technology was certainly much more nerve-wracking than the ones she was used to. She had to have been standing there for five minutes before Vivian and the judges disbanded.

"Lyla," Vivian began. "Your Marshtomp took quite a few hits in this match, many more than Claydol took actually. Some of those hits were even from Marshtomp's own unsuccessful, redirected attacks. Furthermore, we were very impressed by the determination of the opponent's Claydol and the fact that it could still stand after such an array of attacks. However…You demonstrated some rather clever solutions to many of the obstacles thrown at Marshtomp and dazzled us all with Marshtomp's power and grace. We feel that your performance has done a better job of embodying the spirit of Pokémon contests and we are pleased to present you with the official Mauville City Ribbon! Congratulations!"

"Wait, really?" Lyla asked as Marshtomp expressed his excitement in a rather loud, squealing outburst. "W-we won?"

Vivian made her way over and held out the ribbon with a warm smile. Lyla gently lifted it from her hands and the crowd went wild with cheers as Lyla held out in front of her. She was on the verge of tears, happy tears, when Aiden and Eziray came bolting down the arena.

"YOU DID IT!" Eziray cheered as she slammed into Lyla with a rather tight hug.

"What'd I tell you?" Aiden said with a grin as Eziray released and Lyla threw her arms around him. "Hey, you're not allowed to cry now. _You_ won!"

"I just, can't believe it! We did it! Oh my gosh!"

She thanked and hugged the three judges to show her gratitude and they all wished her luck in her future endeavors. Then she shook hands with Morgan who congratulated the youngster on job well-done. The audience dispersed and Lyla, Eziray, Aiden, Noah and Olivia began their walk back to the hotel. Lyla couldn't stop touching the ribbon on the way there. She was sort of glad that this was her first ribbon; it was so beautiful and much more unique than the other two ribbons she'd competed for. She ran her finger along the edge of the 'poker chip' center piece and traced the little crown coming out of the top. She couldn't take her eyes off it.

"One down, four to go right?" Noah asked as the five of them walked through the doors of the hotel.

"Oh my gosh!" Lyla exclaimed as she realized that she could quite possibly have a shot at entering the Grand Festival. It was a bold notion, but she was feeling pretty confident at that moment.

* * *

><p>"Hey there," Aiden said, entering Lyla's room.<p>

She and all of her Pokémon, save Pikachu, were sprawled out on her bed admiring her prize. Pikachu was staring out the window, wondering if she'd ever have the opportunity to be running free again. Aiden held out gift bag with tissue paper sticking out through the top.

"You got me a present?" she asked, looking down at the bag curiously.

"Yup! It's my way of saying congratz. Open it!"

He handed the bag to her and she removed the tissue paper from it before lifting out the object inside it. It was a thin metal box, coated with sparkling gold paint. It was about two times the width of her hand and decorated with vine-like waves that ran along the panels, meeting at the corners to form leaves. Sprouting from these vines, on each side of the box, were perfectly engraved rose buds. On top of the box, the vines traveled upwards into three larger buds with an even larger rose blooming at the center. The shape of a ribbon seemed to be wrapping them all together. There was a line down the center and Lyla slid both sides away from each other, revealing purple padding inside. Three indents were lined along the top of the cushion and two indents windowed them below.

"Is this for my ribbons?"

"Yeah! Eziray has a case for her badges so I figured you should have one for your ribbons."

"It's beautiful, thank you…Wait! Where are you putting_ your_ badges?"

Aiden responded by adjusting his guitar which was slung over his shoulder by a strap. His Dynamo Badge was secured in the upper center of the strap, just below his shoulder.

"I like it! Hey…"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go dancing!"

"MAAAAAAAAAARSH!" Marshtomp exclaimed excitedly, racing out the door.

"At the Game Corner! Let's go celebrate you and Eziray's Dynamo Badge and my first ribbon!"

"Alrighty then!" he agreed as she locked her ribbon away within her shiny new present and led him out of the room by his hand.

"Where are you two off to?" Eziray asked.

She and Noah were standing in the hallway, talking about their most noteworthy battles as Lyla and Aiden walked out. Lyla smiled and invited the two to come along. As they all stepped out into the cool air and looked up into the night sky, they were swept by a feeling of excitement and they romped down the empty street until they reached the icon of Mauville City.

The Mauville City Game Corner was a long, purple building lit up with two enormous flashing screens on each side of the automatic, sliding glass door entrance. The trainers watched the animations on the screens as they neared it; it alternated between images and clips slot machines, roulette, alcoholic beverages, dancing, and more. The four entered and headed straight for the bar.

"Whiskey please. Jack Daniels?" Aiden said as the bartender polished a glass.

"A nectarini for me!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Can I just get some coke with rum?" Noah asked.

"Uh…" Lyla trailed off.

"Something wrong?" Eziray replied as the bartender worked his magic.

"I've never actually had alcohol before…"

"Seriously? Hey, can you get her a White Russian?" Aiden asked as the bartender passed by.

"Are you trying to kill her?" Noah joked as Lyla cocked her head innocently.

"Don't worry, you'll like it. It's sweet," Eziray said.

"Myaa…" Skitty trailed off nervously as Olivia walked over and plopped herself down at the end next to Lyla.

"Thank goodness I found you guys! Are we celebrating? Um…let's see…this looks good," she said, looking through a menu of drinks.

"Miss, are you at least eighteen?"

"…No?" Olivia replied.

"Then I can't legally serve you, sorry.

"But…" she trailed off as the bartender served the others.

"Oh, tough luck kiddo," Lyla said as she took a sip.

The vodka stung quite a bit on the way down and she tried to hide the face she wanted to make, but she still felt like everyone noticed. She drank a bit more and it tasted just as bad but she kept drinking so no one would know.

* * *

><p>"You guys, I think Lyla's had a bit too much to drink…" Eziray said. Noah and Aiden grinned and Olivia rolled her eyes as Lyla bounced to the beat of the music.<p>

"Mrrrr," Skitty said uneasily.

"OOOOOOH! Bounce like a Skitty! Bounce, bounce like a Skitty! Bounce like a Skitty! Bounce, bounce like a Skitty!" she repeated over and over again, laughing and trying her best not to fall over. "Ezzie! C'mere! Dance with me!"

"_YOU_ ARE A BAD INFLUENCE ON AIDEN!" Olivia shouted as Eziray joined in the hyperactive bouncing and grinding.

"AND _YOU_ ARE A KILLJOY!" Lyla shouted back, bouncing around in circles. She had dropped her cup and no one really knew where it was at this point.

"You know what? I'm leaving! I choose not to be here," Olivia said, hopping off the bar stool and immediately slipping in a puddle of some alcoholic beverage.

"OHHH, there's my drink!" Lyla said, laughing hysterically. Olivia tried to stand up with some dignity, slipping a little once more, but caught her balance and walked out of the bar with her head held high. Once outside, her eyes began to well with tears.

"AIDEEEN! HOW? HOW CAN YOU HANG OUT WITH THESE HORRIBLE PEOPLE!" she whined, walking slowly down the street.

Back inside, Aiden and Eziray had finally gotten Lyla to sit down so she wouldn't hurt herself. She leaned her head on Aiden's chest and closed her eyes as the room whirled around her. Then she looked up at him, smiling.

"You have really beautiful eyes," she slurred. "You're just so damn incredible, you know that? I've known that since I met you!"

"Shhh," he hushed, wrapping his arms around her head to calm her down. She kept mumbling into his chest but no one could understand a word of it anymore.

Once it was time to go home, the three paid the rather large bill and realized why Lyla was so intoxicated; she'd ordered way more than anyone else did. They helped her get back to the hotel safely and got her to sleep. Then they all went to their own rooms and their own beds for some shut eye. They would be leaving Mauville City the next day and wanted to be well-rested for the journey to their next destination.

**Author Notes:  
><strong>So this was the first contest that I'm going to write that doesn't take place in the games or the anime. I'll have several more of these contests just because I need there to be more ribbons to be won. In these particular contests, I don't have the ribbons from the anime to reference off of so I design my own! The Mauville City one is one of my favorites because of that poker chip center piece – that's just too cute. Anyway, I hope you liked the contest and I hope the game corner scene at the end didn't make anyone feel uncomfortable or anything. I've officially decided that the drinking age in Hoenn is eighteen like in Europe. If you're not digging the drunkenness, no worries because it's not going to happen very frequently xD Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think!


	27. CH 27 Keeping it in the Family

**Chapter 27: Keeping it in the Family**

"Jeez, what happened last night?" Lyla asked, rubbing her head.

"You got hammered!" Eziray exclaimed. "I admit I drank a little too, but not nearly as much! Damn, girl!"

"So are you gonna party like that every time you win a contest?" Aiden laughed.

"Oh, hush," Lyla said as Eziray handed her a glass of ginger ale.

"If you were so drunk that you can't even remember what happened, you must be very hung-over right now," she said as Lyla drank the ginger ale.

"You have _no_ idea," Lyla replied between sips.

"No more alcohol for you!" Noah said, strolling into the room. "Although you _are _very fun to party with."

"Ohhh, how embarrassing," Lyla whined. "…Did Skitty drink too?"

"MRAAA!" Skitty hissed, not condoning the behavior whatsoever.

"Alright, alright, Skitty! I'm sorry!" Lyla said, laughing slightly.

"Aiiiiden," Olivia whined, running into the room. "I was worried sick about you all night!"

"Oh fantastic. I'm sure there's room for one more in this dumpy little hotel room. Good morning _Olivia_!" Lyla welcomed with slight irritation.

"Olivia, Olivia. Get off of me. I'm not feeling well today. Stop," Aiden said, trying to squirm free of Olivia's bear hug.

"I love you," she whispered.

"What?" he asked with much irritation.

"Nothing! I will see _you_ on stage tonight!" she said with a wink and skipped out of the room.

"Groupies. Such bothersome creatures, they are," Lyla muttered. "I told her you have a gig tonight so she won't follow us when we hit the road."

"She's not _that_ bad," Eziray objected. Everyone else in the room immediately shot her a glance as if to say "What? Are you _kidding_?"

"She's a nice girl and we need to be nice to her," Aiden concluded with a big sigh.

"_Y'all_ can be nice to her. I, on the other hand, will _try_ my _best _but I can't make any guarantees," Lyla responded. "I swear that girl is out to get me…"

* * *

><p>"<em>EIGHT DAYS<em>?" Eziray echoed as Lyla sighed, PokéNav in hand.

"Come on, Ez! The difference between gym battles and contests is that I've got deadlines to meet!"

"But Nurse Joy said that contest isn't for two weeks!"

"Not quite two weeks!" Lyla corrected. "Besides, how are we supposed to make it in time if we stop in Lavaridge first? Both you _and_ Aiden are going to be challenging Flannery and what if she beats you both? We'll be there forever!"

"Is she that strong?"

"I've known Flannery practically my whole life and she certainly gives her challengers a run for their money, that's for sure! Besides, we need to get this crystal thingy dropped off remember?"

Eziray had completely forgotten about the task that Captain Stern had entrusted them with back in Slateport City after Team Magma infiltrated the oceanic museum. They still had to get that strange space crystal to Professor Cosmo before something bad happened to it. Eziray sighed and realized that Lyla had won this argument and it was settled. They were leaving for Fallarbor Town.

"Bummer," Noah said when Eziray finally agreed. "I'm off to Lavaridge myself, so I guess we'll have to split off at some point."

"Well, we have tendency of getting caught up with each other so we'll probably meet up again!" Eziray exclaimed.

"True that," Noah replied, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

The four hit the road together and headed north. The tree-bordered trail eventually opened up into a flat prairie with a large stream running through it near the tree line. They strolled along the dirt path, admiring the wide, open space that stretched on in front of them. Skitty bounded out in front of them, overcome by total freedom. As she frolicked along, her ears suddenly began twitching.

"Skitty, don't go too far," Lyla advised as her Pokémon came to a stop and looked around.

Then the Kitten Pokémon suddenly began racing ahead, down to the bottom of a slight dip in the road so she could no longer be seen.

"Skitty!" Lyla called.

There was no response so the trainers ran after her.

"Oh, hello there!" a man exclaimed.

He was crouched down beside a Bluk Berry bush with a basket. He had been whistling a soft melody that Skitty had picked up and wanted to investigate. She brushed against him, purring, and he handed her a Pokéblock.

"Skitty, what on Earth are you up to?" Lyla asked as she and her friends sprinted down the small hill.

"Hmm…" the man said, standing up to look the trainers over.

"How creepy is this guy?" Lyla thought to herself as Skitty bounced over and hopped into her trainer's arms.

He had medium length, chestnut brown hair with a full mustache and beard. He had dark, piercing eyes and he was dressed in a dark green vest with a lime green, long-sleeved undershirt, grey pants, and brown work boots. He introduced himself as Victor Winstrate and then asked the four trainers if any of them were interested in a battle. Aiden stepped forward before Eziray had a chance to respond.

"I'd love some practice!" he replied, knowing he was going to need to toughen up for his gym challenges to come.

"Oh, excellent!" Victor exclaimed, sending out his Tailow. "How about one-on-one?"

"Fine by me!" Aiden replied, sending out Espeon.

"What a pretty Pokémon! But how does she fair in battle? Taillow, use Wing Attack!"

"Counter it with Psychic!"

"Way ahead of you," Espeon replied as her eyes began to glow blue and the Taillow neared, one wing lit up brightly.

The Tiny Swallow Pokémon suddenly found itself veering off to the right and crash landing into the ground below it. It tweeted painfully as it stood and shook itself.

"Well, that's going to be tough to deal with! Let's try a Double Team!"

The Taillow chirped and lifted itself back into the air with a couple rapid flaps of its wings. Then it multiplied into a massive flock.

"They must have put a lot of work into that Double Team. Eevee can't make anywhere near that many functioning clones of herself," Lyla observed as the Taillow fluttered about.

"Now, use Aerial Ace!"

The Taillow scattered, their entire bodies were trailed by bright white energy as they took turns dive-bombing Espeon.

"Boy, that looks familiar…" Lyla trailed off.

"Maybe that coordinator you battled yesterday borrowed that idea from this guy," Noah suggested.

"Or the other way around, maybe," Lyla replied as she thought back to her contest battle the day before.

"_You can do it, Lyla! Stay calm!" Eziray cheered._

"_I'm trying!" Lyla thought to herself as she and Marshtomp watched the horde racing around him._

"_Poison Sting!"_

"_Marshtomp, look out!" Lyla shouted as the Beedrill dropped down, one-by-one, dive-bombing Marshtomp with their poisonous stingers. The Water-type responded by dodging but there were way too many coming at him._

It was very likely that Demetri and this man had battled at some point, especially if he challenged anyone he saw traveling in or out of Mauville City like this. Fortunately for Espeon, she was much too agile for such a thing to work. She dashed around, somersaulting and countering each Taillow that came near with Swift. As bright, shining star-like discs went zipping through the air, the fake Taillow began to disappear one-by-one. She even managed to hit the real one a few times.

"She's very well-conditioned!" Victor began. "But I doubt she's quick enough for this! Taillow, use Quick Attack!"

The Taillow accelerated forward towards Espeon and Aiden responded by ordering her to do the same. She nodded and sprinted forward, leaping into the air and slamming into Taillow with a greater force than it was exerting. She then landed gracefully as the Tiny Swallow Pokémon went flying back out of control.

"Use Teleport and then Swift!"

Before Taillow could hit the ground, Espeon appeared in midair just above it, and blasted it into the ground herself with Swift.

"Oh my!" Victor exclaimed as he called his fallen Pokémon back.

"Victor?" a woman called as she came towards them.

She had somewhat short, red hair that flared out to the sides and she was wearing a long-sleeved purple dress with an apron wrapped around it. She shuffled along in her red, slipper-like shoes and demanded to know what was taking him so long to gather Bluk Berries for her pie.

"Sorry, Victoria!" he replied. "I came across these trainers here, you see?"

"Is that so?" his wife replied, as she looked up at them curiously. "And?"

"Well,_ he's_ certainly a tough one! I'm sure the other gentleman and these two young ladies would make for a wonderful challenge too though."

"I see!" Victoria exclaimed as she took the basket from her husband's hand. "Well then, I would like to cordially invite you all to our home!"

"Pardon me?" Lyla asked, taken by surprise by the strange and sudden invitation.

"Please?" the woman began. "If you impress my mother, she's bound to share our family's battling secrets with you!"

"Battling secrets!" Eziray echoed.

"Wait a minute, Ez! We don't know these people…" Lyla trailed off.

"And you'll get a taste of my homemade Bluk Berry pie! Family recipe," Victoria added with a wink.

"Okay, I'm down," Lyla said, clapping her hands and walking forward. She introduced herself to the couple as they walked along, as did the other three.

The couple led them down the path a ways until they reached an adorable little cottage sitting out in the middle of nowhere. It was located just off the road, behind a garden of fruits and vegetables. A young girl with a striking resemblance to Victoria was racing through a linear maze of clipped hedges within the garden, and a Shroomish and a Marill were skipping along at her side. She noticed the group coming and rushed out to meet them.

"This is our daughter, Vivi," Victoria introduced. "Vivi, I'd like you to meet Aiden, Eziray, and Lyla. Would you care to show them around?"

"Okay!" the girl exclaimed.

She looked exactly like her mother, only about eight years old, and she was wearing a yellow t-shirt with a red bow at the collar, matching red cargo shorts, and red sneakers. She led the trainers into their little home and showed them the kitchen, the bedrooms, and the living room. She didn't want to take them into the back yard, however, because she was worried that her grandmother would be meditating and didn't want to be disturbed. When she was done, she took the four back outside and Victoria grinned.

"So about those battling secrets…" Eziray trailed off.

"And pie…" Lyla added.

"Oh, we'll get to that. But first, I'd like to tell you three why we brought you here," Victoria began. "You see, we're a family who takes battling very seriously! Our son is actually training out on Victory Road as we speak! Anyway, we would like to challenge you all to battle our family. What do you say?" Victoria asked, reading a Pokéball.

"Sounds great!" Eziray exclaimed. "As long as Lyla, Noah and I can get in on the action too!"

"Excellent! Well, since Aiden's already defeated my husband, I suppose one of you can battle me! Lyla, you competed recently in a contest right?"

"HOW'D YOU KNOW?" Lyla gasped.

"It was on television dear…"

"Oh…"

"Anyway, I think I've got a Pokémon here you'd be interested in. Roselia come on out!" Victoria exclaimed as she sent out a bipedal Grass-type with a leafy dress and two rosebuds at the ends of its arms. "Isn't she just lovely?"

"Wow!" Lyla exclaimed, holding up her Pokédex.

"Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon: Roselia's aroma can bring serenity, but the thorns on its head contain a vicious poison," the Dex informed.

"Skitty," Lyla began. The Kitten Pokémon bounded forward and took her position across from it.

"You're going to love this move, Lyla! Roselia, use Petal Dance!"

The Grass-type began to twirl on the tips of her feet as a vortex of sharp rose petals spiraled out of the flowers on her arms. The petals surrounded Skitty and sliced at her as they fell to the ground. Although it was a beautiful move, Lyla wasn't thrilled about it at all once she saw Skitty suffering.

"This is a good one too! Use Stun Spore!"

While Skitty was down and trying to cooperate, the Roselia released a fine, shimmering powder from her rose buds as well. The glittering orange dust spread forward and Lyla knew that she had to stop it before Skitty could inhale any of it. Perhaps Marshtomp's Water-gun would do the trick.

"Skitty, use Assist!"

The Kitten Pokémon's right foot began to glow as the Stun Spore closed in on her. Then she suddenly sped out of the way with either Eevee or Pikachu's Quick Attack. It wasn't what Lyla had hoped for but it served the same purpose and got Skitty away from those spores in time as they dispersed and gradually went away. Then the Normal-type continued forward and, on her trainer's command, slammed into Roselia with a Tackle backed by the Quick Attack.

"Rose-eh-lee," the Roselia whimpered as it hit the ground.

"Bullet Seed!"

The Thorn Pokémon sat up and began shooting an array of bullet-like seeds from its rose buds.

"Iron Tail!"

Using Iron Tail, Skitty managed to shield herself from every incoming seed. Most of them exploded upon contact and she was unharmed, but a few of them were deflected and exploded against Roselia instead. Once the rapid fire had ceased, Skitty charged forward and gave Roselia a blow to the head with Iron Tail just before it faded.

"You two sure are quick on your feet. But can you handle this? Roselia, use Petal Dance _and_ Stun Spore!"

"Rose-eee!" the Roselia exclaimed as she spun around, releasing a vortex of petals intertwined with a swirling gust of glimmering orange powder.

"Skitty, move!"

In spite of her trainer's efforts, there was really nowhere for Skitty to go to avoid the attack and it hit, both damaging and paralyzing her.

"Great work, Roselia! Now use Absorb!"

The Grass-type held up her rose buds and a red beam shot out from the center of each, entangling Skitty and draining her energy to recharge Roselia. Lyla tried to get her to use Assist, but the paralysis kicked in and she couldn't move.

"She won't hold out for long at this rate," Lyla thought to herself as she watched Roselia leeching strength from her poor Skitty. "Wait a minute! I completely forgot about that day when she sang Electrike to sleep…"

"_Get ready, Charo!" Eziray exclaimed as her Charmander rose to take a turn with the Electrike._

_Suddenly Skitty bounced out in front of them all and began to meow softly. Her meows became more and more melodic and soothing as multicolored sound waves began emitting from her mouth. The sound waves traveled forward, and the Electrike had become too relaxed to even want to avoid them. As soon as they hit, the wild Pokémon fell asleep instantly._

"_Was that a new move, Skitty?" Lyla asked as Gracie rushed over to take a look at Mudkip._

"_There's no time, Miss Lyla! You've got to get Mudkip some help!" the Psychic-type insisted._

"I'd been so focused on getting him to the Pokémon Center, I didn't have time to take in what had just happened. But what was that move called?"

"Mrrrr…" Skitty whined, snapping Lyla out of her thoughts.

"Skitty, put it to sleep with your singing!"

"Myaaa! Mya, mya, mya!" Skitty chanted melodically as circular waves of colorful sound energy emitted and expanded from her mouth.

"Rooose-ee…" the Roselia drifted off upon hearing the noise. Within moments, she was passed out on the ground and Skitty was freed from the Absorb.

"Now use Assist!"

A glowing white orb formed at the tip of Skitty's right paw and soon, violent sparks were crackling all around it. With a single flick of her wrist, she sent a massive jolt of electricity at Roselia and completely fried it. Roselia remained motionless on the ground, black as coal.

"Oh gosh! They _are_ strong!" Victoria exclaimed as she called Roselia back to her ball. "And you must have a _terrifyingly _powerful Electric-type on your team…I just can't believe an Electric-type attack could do so much damage on my Grass-type Roselia! My goodness, you're a lot tougher than you look."

"They're stronger than you, mommy!" Vivi yelled excitedly. "But then, again, so am I! Who's next?"

"That'd be me!" Eziray replied, sending Baby out.

"Ooo pretty!" Vivi exclaimed. "But no match for my Shroomish!"

"Shroo! Shroo!" the Mushroom Pokémon exclaimed, waddling into place.

"Baby, let's start off with Dragon Rage!"

The Dratini opened her mouth to reveal a massive orange fireball forming within. She let it accumulate for just a moment and then released it. Vivi and her Shroomish tried to counter it with Sludge Bomb, but the tiny, purple globs of guck were no match for the scorching Dragon-type move; they disintegrated upon contact and Shroomish was engulfed by the flames.

"Shroomish!" Vivi screamed rather dramatically. "Use Poison Powder!"

The opening at the top of the Mushroom Pokémon began spewing out toxic, purple particles that Baby couldn't help but inhale. Her cheeks turned red and the poison worked its way throughout her body. Vivi grinned and opened her mouth for another command but she paused, horrified by what Baby was in the process of doing.

"Trying to poison, burn, freeze, paralyze, or burn a Dratini is useless," Eziray began as Baby separated from her skin, leaving behind a purplish white casing in the shape of her body. "Normally the skin she sheds is white but I guess the toxins are giving it a purple hue. That's Baby's special ability Shed Skin – whenever a Pokémon with Shed Skin is poisoned or paralyzed or whatever, it just heals itself by shedding its skin. Baby's all better now!"

"I've never heard of such an ability!" Vivi whined.

"Well, at least you learned something! Baby, use Twister!"

"OOOO!" Baby exclaimed as she circled her tailed around rapidly, creating a small but powerful twister at the tip.

Vivi had no idea how to counter the move and Shroomish wasn't fast enough to avoid it so the Grass-type was sucked in and blown around and around until it was launched back down into the ground as the Twister died down.

"No fair!" Vivi shouted angrily. "Shroomish get up and use Leech Seed! We'll show her!"

A rather large, brown seed was spat out of the opening on the Shroomish's head and it struck Baby in the forehead, releasing a web of thin vines that wrapped around her. She seemed mobile for the most part, but Eziray knew that this parasite of a seed would be sapping Baby's energy in no time.

"Baby, use Dragon Rage again!"

The Dragon Pokémon opened her mouth and Dragon Rage began to accumulate once more. Before she could fire it, however, the Leech Seed kicked in and she was completely powerless during the brief moment that it drained away.

"Yay! Now use Sludge Bomb!"

Just as the seed stopped draining, Baby was pelted with a mass of poisonous blobs of purple goo. When they stopped coming, Leech Seed kicked in again, sucking more energy from the Dragon-type. Eziray knew she'd have to time her next move just right.

"As soon as it stops, I want you to use Wrap!"

Baby cried out in pain, but managed to hear her trainer and waited for the draining to cease. When it did, she snaked over as quickly as she could and wrapped her body around the Shroomish's.

"Thunder Wave!" Eziray ordered.

The Dragon-type began sparking violently and let off some electricity that didn't seem to harm the Grass-type in any way. It did, however, leave the Shroomish paralyzed. As she squeezed its body tightly with Wrap, blue spores suddenly began spurting out of its opening and Baby fell asleep as she inhaled them. Her body relaxed and she slid to the ground, but the Shroomish's special ability Effect Spore had no use because her body separated from her skin once more and she was wide awake again. The Leech Seed, however, managed to cling to her body as she emerged and it leeched her energy once more.

"Now finish it off with Dragon Rage!" Eziray exclaimed as soon as it ceased.

Baby quickly fired one last Dragon Rage, singing the Shroomish to a crisp.

"N-no fair!" Vivi whined with a sniffle.

"Now, Vivi…" Victor trailed off.

"She cheated! I'm telling grandma!"

"Vivi!" Victoria exclaimed, but it was no use. Her daughter ran away in tears, slamming the front door to the house behind her. "Oh, she's got to learn to how to handle a defeat!"

"Don't feel bad," Victor assured.

"I don't," Eziray replied.

"Eziray!" Lyla whispered aggressively.

"Well, I don't!"

"Excuse me!" an old woman spat as she walked out into the front yard. "Which one of you is responsible for making my granddaughter cry?"

"That one!" Vivi accused, pointing to Eziray.

"Oh, mother!" Victoria growled. "This trainer did nothing wrong!"

The old woman laughed in entertainment as she patted the bun resting towards the back of her head. Then she straightened out her pink dress and continued.

"Oh I know that, love! I'm just excited that we have some trainers here worthy of our time! With Vito being gone, there's no one strong enough for me to train with. What's your name, dearie?"

"I'm Eziray…"

"Nice to meet you, Eziray! My name's Vicky! If you're not too terribly worn out, then I would love to have a go at you!"

"Actually, ma'am, with all due respect, I was wondering if maybe I could battle you," Noah interrupted. "Everyone else has gotten some action and I was hoping to have my turn."

"Hmm…and you are?"

"My name's Noah."

"Okay fine then, Noah. I accept your challenge!"

"Thank you kindly," he replied with a grin as he sent out his Quilava.

"I think I'll select Meditite!" Vicky exclaimed, sending her Pokémon to battle as well. "Start things off with Focus Punch!"

"Dig into the ground!"

The Fighting-type sprinted forward, left fist glowing brightly as Quilava began pawing away at the dirt. The Meditite swung, but Quilava had already tunneled deep enough into the ground to escape.

"Smokescreen!"

As the Meditite peered down the hole in the ground, a cloud of smoke suddenly puffed out of the hole, completely blinding it.

"No matter! Just keep calm and clear your mind."

"Meeed…" the Meditate Pokémon trailed off as it closed its eyes and focused as hard as it could, sensing every single one of Quilava's underground movements.

"Use Flame Wheel!"

As Quiliva shot from the ground, he curled up, surrounded by a ball of sweltering flames. The Meditite opened its eyes and leapt out of the way in time to avoid the attack and Quiliva kept going up, breaking through the top of the smoke cloud.

"Use Hidden Power before it takes cover in the smoke again!"

The Fighting-type's body began to shine so brightly that the spectators could sort of see it through the thick, dark wisps of smoke. Then it lifted its arm and shot a bright beam from the center of its palm straight up into the sky where it met Quilava's body and blasted it even higher. As Quilava free fell back down to the ground below, the smoke finally dispersed and the figures of both Pokémon could be seen once more. Quilava was sprawled out on his stomach and the Meditite was standing several feet away, awaiting further orders.

"Quilava, are you good?" Noah asked as his Pokémon stood and shook itself. "Great! Run at it with Quick Attack!"

Quilava charged forward as quickly as it could as Vicky ordered her Meditite to use Detect, so Noah quickly changed his plans with a sudden command to us Dig. Quilava halted himself and burrowed into the ground just in front of his rather surprised opponent. Detect soon wore off and the Meditate Pokémon closed its eyes and focused, but it appeared that Quilava wasn't moving around down there at all. As it waited for Quilava to move, a massive spurt of fire blasted out from the hole in front of it, singeing the entire front half of its body.

"My thoughts exactly, Quilava. Great work! Now come on up!"

Before Vicky's Meditite could regain its composure, Quilava popped out of the ground and slammed into it, sending the Fighting-type skidding through the dirt.

"We're not about to sit here and let you take a beating, Meditite, use Focus Punch again!"

"Dodge with Quick Attack!"

In spite of the Meditite's numerous attempts to jab at Quilava, each one failed as Quilava zipped about to avoid them. Then he suddenly began to charge towards the Meditite at full speed. The Fighting-type was ready, however, and knocked him straight up into the air with Focus Punch once he was in range.

"Now finish it with Hi Jump Kick!"

The Meditate Pokémon leapt into the air after Quilava and grabbed a firm hold of him as it brought its knee up into his stomach, forcing him even higher.

"I think not! Flamethrower!"

As Meditite was coming back down, Quilava blasted it with Flamethrower before it even landed on the ground. Then the Volcano Pokémon began somersaulting as he fell, completely surrounded by flames, and he drilled Meditite into the ground with Flame Wheel for a moment before bouncing off. The Meditate Pokémon was finished and Vicky nodded as she called it back.

"That was absolutely superb! I haven't had a challenge like that since my grandson Vito left! Although I must say that you're nowhere near as powerful as he is! He's my pride and joy, that boy! Anyhow…come in! Come in! I would love to let you young ones in on a couple of our family's secrets!"

The four trainers followed her into the house, the rest of the family trailing behind. They spent the afternoon there, discussing battling strategies and whatnot with Vicky as Victoria served them lunch. Victor even brought out his stash of Pokéblock and shared some with Lyla, explaining how they were good for her Pokémon's coats and whatnot. She tucked the baggie away in her bag and thanked the man for his generosity. The Winstrates turned out to be a very nice family and it would have been nice to stay a little longer but the four had places to be so they bid the family farewell and hit the road once again.

That night, they found themselves wondering where to hunker down for the night. They had gotten through the prairie and found themselves completely surrounded by a dense forest. There didn't seem to be a place where they could pitch a bunch of tents though. Luckily, Aiden noticed a sign with the words 'Lake May' painted onto it. It was pointing down a trail that led away from the main road. They figured it was their best bet and turned down the trail. It curved around and brought them to a large lake backed by a row of mountains and trees. There were already several other trainers and groups scattered around, camps set up and everything. It wasn't long before the four realized why so many people were gathered there.

"What are those?" Eziray exclaimed as the Bug-types circled around, lighting up the area with the glowing bulbs on their rears.

"Oh yeah!" Lyla realized. "My mom told me about this place one time. The Illumise and Volbeat come here to find mates. They're dancing around like that to impress one another…Some call that the Dance of Love!"

"It's beautiful," Aiden murmured as he watched their reflections dancing across the still water of Lake May.

"Yeah, I'm glad we came here," Lyla replied, digging through her memories for a moment. "I've always wanted to see it…"

The four set up their tents and let out their Pokémon to enjoy the little light show for as long as they could. Everyone was dazzled by the Firefly Pokémon's dance; even Pikachu couldn't help but feel at peace as she watched the Bug Pokémon pirouetting around in the sky above. When the last couple departed with one another, the trainers called their Pokémon back and crawled into their tents for the night.

* * *

><p>"<em>It all comes down to this!" Vivian announced in a rather large stadium full of screaming fans. "Selena versus Lyla – winner takes the Ribbon Cup and the Grand Champion title! Less than a minute left on the clock and Selena's got quite a lead!"<em>

"_We've got this, Butterfree. Just keep at it!"_

"_Don't give up!" Lyla exclaimed as her Pokémon floated upwards._

"_I'd never!" the Pokémon exclaimed telepathically._

_The Pokémon had a tiny white body with a rather large yellow, star-shaped headdress. His eyes were sweet and innocent like a child's and each one had a blue triangular mark streaked underneath it. He had two yellow, ribbon-like streamers flowing behind him like tails and his voice matched his eyes – soft and innocent, much like an infant's._

"_Alright…" Lyla began. "Use that move. It's perfect!"_

_The Pokémon closed its eyes as energy began to accumulate around its body and its streamers swiveled violently. He soon became engulfed in a massive sphere of bright white that quickly expanded and detonated, blasting Selena's Butterfree away in a bright flash accented with glimmering stars._

"_Butterfree!" Selena exclaimed as her Pokémon fell to the ground._

"_REMARKABLE!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed._

"_What a stunning move! I'm absolutely breath-taken!" Nurse Joy added._

"_It looks like we have our winner!" Contesta announced with a nod._

"_WE DID IT!" Lyla exclaimed as the Pokémon floated laps around her. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY WISH COME TRUE!"_

"_It's coming, Wish Maker!" the Pokémon exclaimed as the Grand Festival setting began to fade._

"_Huh? What's coming? Wait a minute, what's happening?"_

_The Pokémon vanished before her eyes in a bright, glittering flash as everything else suddenly went pitch black. Lyla was left for alone for a moment and she looked around desperately for her friend. Tears began to form and she called his name as loud as she could, so loud that it stirred her from her sleep._

"JIRACHI!" she gasped, sitting up in her tent. She looked around and it was dead silent. "A dream? It was just a dream…"

She rested back down and stared up, playing the dream back through her mind. She wondered about the Pokémon she had been competing with and concluded that it was just a figment of her imagination. She closed her eyes once more and was back to sleep in no time.

**Author Notes:**

In case anyone hasn't played Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald or just doesn't remember, the Winstrate Family is that family you can choose to battle outside of Mauville City. The son, Vito, is a Cool Trainer that you can find on Victory Road. I'll be incorporating his character later on but he won't be playing the same role he did in the anime. Lake May also appears in the anime but I didn't focus on it as much as that episode did. I figured it was interesting enough to mention but not interesting enough to write a whole chapter on. The dream at the end is my own creation ;) I hope you all love the foreshadowing – be sure to leave a review!


	28. CH 28 Make a Wish!

**Chapter 28: Make a Wish!**

"Skitty…what have you been eating?" Lyla mumbled as she began to awake from her sleep the next morning. "You're heavier than normal."

She opened her eyes to find two wide diamond-like ones staring back at her and she screamed. The Sableye sitting on her stomach was very alarmed by the sudden noise and it began to scream as well. Noah rushed into the tent to see what all the commotion was about and his mischievous little Sableye hopped off of Lyla and climbed onto his back.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Lyla demanded.

"Sorry, he's a little curious," Noah replied as his Pokémon played with his hair.

"Clearly," Lyla muttered as she sat up.

Outside the tents, Aiden and Eziray were training with each other and Skitty was out exploring the edge of Lake May. Before leaving her tent, Lyla sent out Pikachu for one of her daily doses of medicine. She mixed it up into its food and left her alone to eat it. Then she raced out to tell the others about the dream she'd had that night.

"Hey, do any of you know about a Pokémon named Jirachi?"

Eziray and Aiden paused and looked at her with puzzled faces. Noah didn't seem like he was familiar with the Pokémon either, so Lyla explained her dream and how vivid it had been. Then she mentioned Jirachi's warning – something was coming. The other three grinned a bit and told her it was just a dream, but she wasn't convinced so Noah offered to lend her his PokéGear.

"What's a PokéGear?" she asked.

"Well, in Johto, many trainers carry these around like Hoenn trainers carry a PokéNav. It's got the date and time, a radio, a map, and even a phone function. I've got Professor Birch's number stored in here, so you could give him a call if you'd like. If anyone knows anything about the Pokémon you saw in your dream, it'd probably be him!"

"Awesome!" Lyla exclaimed as he handed her the device.

The device was black with two white Pokéball shapes on each side. It flipped open to reveal a large, watch-like screen. Noah showed her how to dial the number and then she held it up to her ear like a cellular phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Professor Birch?"

"Yes?"

"This is Lyla. I'm using Noah's PokéGear…"

"Oh, Alright! Hello! Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Everything's going well. I just had a bizarre dream last night and I was wondering if you knew anything about a Pokémon named Jirachi."

"Jirachi, huh? Yes, I know about it – that's the legendary Pokémon that comes out of hibernation for one week every one thousand years."

"Wait! He's real?!"

"Yep! If he's found a partner that he can befriend, then he will appear to that partner during the Millennium Comet."

"Do you know what Jirachi looks like? I want to know if it's really the Pokémon I saw in my dream last night."

"Sadly, I wasn't alive yet during the last Millennium Comet so I've never seen Jirachi before. I've only been able to see artwork and read about him. I find it interesting that you had a dream about him last night though…"

"Why is that?"

"Because the Millennium Comet is due to begin tonight!"

"Is that a joke?"

"No, Lyla. I'm serious. I'm not sure where you guys are, but they're hosting a festival somewhere way outside your hometown. Well, it's actually out in the middle of nowhere, but someone sent me an invitation for it you see."

"Well if Jirachi appeared to me in a dream, then does that mean he's looking to befriend _me_?"

"Not necessarily. Are you sure you didn't read up on him when you were little? Maybe your parents told you about him in a bedtime story or something."

"I don't think so…"

"Well, I wouldn't be worried if I were you. You should be honored if a legendary Pokémon wanted to be your friend," he joked with a chuckle. "We'll I've got some work to do. It was nice chatting with you. Be sure to look up in the sky tonight!"

"Thank you, Professor!" she exclaimed before handing the device back to Noah to end the call.

No one really had much to say about it after that. They were all pretty interested now, but it was hard to believe that Jirachi would just randomly pick Lyla to be its friend. Lyla thought hard, trying to remember if her mother had in fact told her about Jirachi when she was little. She began to recall her mother mentioning it at some point, but she wasn't sure if it really happened or if she was just conjuring up some event that had never happened. She finally deemed it best to just shrug the matter off and get ready to hit the road again.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you wanna stay behind?" Eziray asked, cocking her head.<p>

"Yeah, this looks like a nice, open space to train so I think this is where we'll split off," Noah replied, stroking his Bayleef's forehead.

"Awww, I guess then this is good bye then!"

"For now, but I'm sure I'll run into you all again pretty soon."

"I suppose!"

The three bid Noah farewell, slung their bags over their shoulders, and hit the road once more. It was a quiet day; no one seemed to be out and about looking for a battle, so the trainers made huge progress. By sunset, they'd found themselves in a slightly mountainous region and surprisingly had enough energy to keep going so they trudged on.

"This way!"

Lyla halted upon hearing the voice and looked around for the child who had said it. That voice seemed so familiar to her but it was so brief that she didn't have time to analyze it. The others paused and asked her what was wrong.

"Did you hear that?" she gasped.

"Hear what?" Aiden asked.

"A voice just now…"

"What did it say?" Eziray replied.

"It wanted us to go that way," Lyla replied, pointing to a small trail leading off into nowhere.

"I think you just imagined it. Getting tired?" Eziray asked. "We can set up camp here for tonight if you want."

"Can we go check it out?"

"Are you sure? We have no idea where that trail leads. What if we get lost or something? What if you miss your contest?"

"I'm sure everything will be fine…I just have this strong feeling about something."

"Well, alright then…"

A little reluctantly, Eziray and Aiden followed Lyla down the overgrown path. It wound up being rather short and curved around the hill, leading the trainers to a dead end overlooking a wide canyon. At the bottom of the canyon, all sorts of vehicles were gathered and people were assembling tents, rides, kiosks, and other attractions. The whole area was boarded by tall poles connected by strings of bright, colorful lights.

"What's a festival doing all the way out here?" Aiden wondered out loud as Lyla searched for a way to get down there.

"This must be the festival that Professor Birch was talking about!" she exclaimed as she noticed a somewhat steep path leading down.

"I guess we could go take a look!" Eziray exclaimed, taking the lead and racing down the trail.

"So what are they celebrating?" Aiden asked as he and Lyla carefully made their way down.

"The Millennium Comet. Professor Birch said it only comes every one thousand years! This is all so strange though…Do you think what he said about Jirachi is true? I just find it too coincidental that I dreamt about him last night and here we are at some festival held once every _one thousand years_."

"I wouldn't get too excited. A thousand years is a long time and if that's how long it's been since anyone else saw Jirachi, then a lot of what Professor Birch told you might have been a myth."

"That may be true…"

The trainers reached the base of the hill and strolled into the festival. It seemed like the set up was pretty much done and vendors were already selling things to customers who had arrived early. Lyla paused at one of the booths, as soon as she noticed a bronze statue just a few yards in front of it.

"That's him!" she exclaimed. "That's the Pokémon from my dream!"

The statue was a life size replica of the legendary Pokémon Jirachi. There was a small plaque at the base of it, honoring the Pokémon and describing its history. Lyla read over it but was disappointed to not learn anything that Professor Birch hadn't already told her. The nearby vendor had been studying them carefully and decided to make his move.

"Hello, travelers!" he exclaimed. "You're eyeing Jirachi there, I see!"

"Do you know anything about this Pokémon?" Lyla asked, scurrying over to his stand.

"I know that it grants wishes!" the vendor exclaimed. "Much like these little trinkets here!"

"I see…" Lyla trailed off, walking away. The statue was just a ploy to get people to buy his merchandise. Unfortunately, it worked.

"I'll take one!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Ez?" Aiden said as she handed the man a couple bills from her pocket.

"Wonderful! Let me show you how the Wishmaker works," he offered, holding up one of the dream catcher-like objects. "First, think of a wish. Any wish! Just don't tell anyone."

"Okay, got it!"

"Now, do you see these seven triangular pieces along the edges?"

"Yes!"

"Tonight, when the Millennium Comet can be seen, hold the Wishmaker up so you can see the comet through the weaving and then fold down the triangle with one star on it. Tomorrow, fold down the triangle with two stars. The next day, fold down the triangle with three stars, and so on. In a week, once the Millennium Comet is gone and all of the triangles have been folded down, your wish will come true!"

"AWESOME!" Eziray exclaimed, enchanted by the charm in her hands.

"Come on, Ez," Aiden said with a chuckle.

The two hurried to catch up with Lyla who had found a newspaper stand and was reading some coordinator magazine from it.

"So what do you guys think?" Aiden began. "Shall we set up camp here tonight?"

"I don't mind!" Eziray exclaimed.

"I'd love to," Lyla replied.

The three found an open area just outside the boundaries of the festival and they set up their tents. Inside of her tent, Lyla sent out all of her Pokémon and gave Pikachu her second dose of medicine for the day. The others each got a bowl of Pokémon food.

"Eat up everyone!" she exclaimed.

"The star is coming!"

Lyla gasped at the voice which was exactly the same as the one she'd heard earlier. Her Pokémon looked up at her curiously and she asked if they'd heard it too. They shook their heads and she walked out of her tent to Aiden's – it sounded like the voice had come from in there.

"What's up?" he asked as she looked around his tent. His Pokémon were having their dinner too and he was sitting on top of his sleeping bag, examining the crystal that Captain Stern had given them.

"I heard that voice again…It's gotta be Jirachi. It sounds just like he did in my dream," she said, sitting down next to him. They both watched his Pokémon eat for a moment and then she took the crystal from his lap.

She held it up for a moment and watched the lantern's light reflecting off of it for a moment. Then she could have sworn it spoke to her.

"In here!"

She gasped and dropped it as she stood up suddenly. Aiden stood too, asking her if she was alright.

"It's here! It's here! I can't wait to meet you!" the voice echoed.

"I-I need some sleep," she said nervously as she fled the tent.

She immediately turned into her tent without even acknowledging the Millennium Comet which could now be seen overhead in the starry night sky. Eziray was perched on a nearby rock, admiring the beauty of the bright white streak it left behind as it trailed through the sky at an extremely slow rate. She held her Wishmaker up to the comet and folded the first flap down before hopping off of the rock and racing to her tent.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Wish Maker!"<p>

"That voice again…" Lyla trailed off without even opening her eyes.

"Wake up, Wish Maker! I've been waiting so long to meet you!"

Lyla opened her eyes to a friendly face hovering over her. Then she sat up and stared at it in complete shock.

"Jirachi?" she asked as it floated down to her. "Is this another dream?"

"No, because we're both awake now!" the Pokémon exclaimed. "I can't tap into your dreams if neither of us are sleeping!"

"Where did you come from? How did you know where to find me? Why me?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions! I came from space I guess and I didn't find you, _you found me_!"

"What?"

"LYLA, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT!" Eziray exclaimed as she and Aiden burst into her tent. "Last night, after you went to sleep, that crystal thing started glowing! And before we knew it, it was gone and this Pokémon was sitting in its place!"

"You mean we've had Jirachi with us this whole time?!" Lyla asked as it floated around, curious about the conversation.

"Yeah! That must be why he chose you!"

"But why me and not you or Aiden? I mean Aiden's been the one holding onto it for the most part…"

"It's just a hunch, but maybe because you were the first one to touch it back at the Oceanic Museum."

"I was?"

"Yeah, it was kind of like a mad dash for it between you and me but Aiden and I were thinking back and we both think that you were the one to touch it first. That's the only reason we could come up with, but then again, maybe he doesn't need a reason at all. Maybe it was just a coincidence," Eziray explained.

"What's going on?" Jirachi asked with a frown. "You don't want me here?"

"No! That's not it, I promise! I'm just surprised, that's all!" Lyla insisted.

"Then you'll be my friend?"

"Of course!"

"Oh, yay!" the Wish Pokémon celebrated as it twirled around. "What's your name?"

"My name's Lyla! These are my friends Aiden, Eziray, and Skitty!"

"Nice to meet you all!"

"So is it true that you grant wishes?"

"Wishes?" the Pokémon echoed curiously.

"Oh! Oh! Can I make a wish?" Eziray begged.

"What about your dumb Wishmaker thing?" Lyla muttered.

"I wish for a new hat!"

"Hat?" the Pokémon repeated.

"Yeah, just to test if it works!"

The Pokémon closed its eyes for a moment, and before she knew it, Eziray was completely buried under a pile of hats that just appeared out of nowhere. Lyla and Aiden gasped.

"AWESOME!" Eziray shouted as she burst through the top. "Next, I'm going to wish for…"

"Hold on a minute, Eziray," Aiden said as he peered out of the tent and watched a man running around in a panic.

"THEY'RE GONE! THEY'RE ALL JUST GONE! I'M RUINED!"

"I think those hats belong to that vendor…"

"I guess when you wish for something, it has to come from somewhere," Lyla said with a sigh.

"That Pokémon is probably a Psychic-type seeing how it's been communicating with you telepathically," Aiden reasoned. "It probably just teleported them here."

"Can you teleport them back, Jirachi?" Lyla asked. "We wouldn't want the poor man to go out of business!"

"Okay!"

As quickly as they had appeared, all of the hats were gone and Eziray was very disappointed. Then Jirachi suddenly fell down into Lyla's arms and she asked if he was okay.

"I'm so sleepy…" it trailed off as it went to sleep.

"Sleepy? You've been asleep for a thousand years! How could you possibly be sleepy?" Lyla demanded.

"Good night!"

And with that, the Wish Pokémon fell asleep and Lyla sighed. There were still so many questions she had for it. Oh well, they'd have to be answered later. For the rest of the day, the trainers enjoyed all that the festival had to offer – carnival rides, games, small Pokémon tournaments, and so on. Towards the end, they passed by a booth as they made their way back to their tents. They didn't even notice the woman standing in front of it.

"That was quite a spectacle you put on this morning, you know…" she trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Commander! I just thought I should act how any vendor would act if all of their merchandise suddenly vanished before their eyes!"

"I told you not to call any attention to ourselves! I don't care if Jirachi himself appeared and did a little jig for you as he made this shit fly all over the damn place with his telekinetic abilities. You are to stay quiet and unnoticed, do you hear me? This place is crawling with security, and we don't need your stupid ass thrown into a loony bin!"

"Do you think Jirachi did it?"

"I don't know! It'd be rather strange if he did…What would a legendary Pokémon want with hats? Furthermore, why would he return them?"

"Do you think the human he's with wished for the hats?"

"I don't think so. Surely he's under Team Magma's control now. I mean what else could they have been after back at the Oceanic Museum in Slateport? We must find them and get that Pokémon for ourselves. That's why I need you to be _quiet_," she hissed as she turned, keeping her face low so no one would recognize her.

"Have you found Jirachi yet, Shelly?" a man's voice echoed through a tiny speaker over her ear.

"Not yet, sir. There's no sign of Team Magma anywhere. I think we should move out and search Forina."

"Not quite yet. I'm certain that they've gone to find Professor Europa and she's _supposed_ to be at that festival."

"Well, technically, she is here sir. She's just a little subdued at the moment…Once we intercept Jirachi, we'll be able to unlock the Eye of Truth's power – I made her spill _everything_."

"Great work, Shelly. I'll be seeing you soon."

"Yes, boss!"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Lyla awoke to find Jirachi awake and rather upset about something.<p>

"Jirachi? Is everything okay? What happened?"

"Thank you, Lyla."

"For what?"

"For being my friend! I'm just a little homesick…"

"Do you want to return to space?"

"No…I want to go back to Forina!"

"Forina? Where's that?"

"It's a wonderful place! It's the prettiest place on your entire Earth! That's where I was resting until I was found and sold to rich people!"

"Oh, right! You become all crystalized when you're hibernating…but how did you end up at the Oceanic Museum?"

"The rich people's ship sank and I was found many, many years later by another man. Then he gave me to you!"

"How do you know all this if you were asleep?"

"I don't know…I just do…"

"Well, let's see. Maybe I can find Forina on my PokéNav," she said, fiddling with her device.

Jirachi drifted about above her, trying to look over her shoulder at what she was doing. When she finally found Forina, she sighed. It was far from where they were – _very, very_ far from there. For some reason, however, Lyla couldn't find the heart to tell him no. Instead, she went out looking for Aiden and Eziray. Jirachi and Skitty followed her out.

"I wonder where they went off to…" she trailed off as she wandered around the festival, passing by the hat booth.

The undercover Aqua grunt gasped as he saw Jirachi floating along behind her. Once she was out of earshot, he picked up his walky-talky hastily and spoke into it nervously.

"H-he's here!"

"Jirachi?! You saw him?"

"Y-yes! And you're not going to believe this – he's not with Team Magma. He's with some girl."

"A girl?"

"Yes!"

"…I'll be right there. Please get rid of her."

"Rodger that!"

"A girl?" Shelly wondered to herself. "How could she have gotten ahold of Jirachi? Perhaps Team Magma was after something else after all. How could I have been so quick to assume that Team Magma was familiar with the legend of Jirachi and that they'd made the same connection we had? I can't believe I was so foolish…We should have gone into that museum and looked for ourselves! I guess it's easier this way though. It'll be like stealing candy from a little baby."

"There you guys are!" Lyla exclaimed once she finally found her friends. They were both hanging out around the food kiosks, enjoying the beautiful day.

"Good morning," Aiden greeted. "Hello, Jirachi."

"Hello, Aiden! And Eziray!" the Wish Pokémon exclaimed.

"Good morning, Jirachi! How are you?" Eziray replied.

"Well, he kind of wants to go home…" Lyla trailed off.

"Where is 'home' exactly?" Aiden asked as Lyla pulled out her PokéNav to show him. Both he and Eziray gasped.

"Lyla, it'd take weeks to get there!" Eziray exclaimed.

"But what about Espeon and Gracie? Can't they teleport us?"

"That's a little out of their range I think," Aiden replied.

"I feel bad though. Someone took him from his home and we're the only ones who can take him back…"

"You're not taking him, _anywhere_!"

They turned to find an Aqua grunt standing before them with a Poochyena sent out for battle.

"Team Aqua!" Eziray exclaimed, gritting her teeth.

"Who are you?" Jirachi asked naively.

"A very, _very_ bad man!" Lyla exclaimed. "Stay away from him!"

"Poochyena, use Take Down!"

"Skitty, use Sing!"

"Myaaaaaaaaaa!" Skitty sang, releasing multicolored waves of sound.

The waves traveled forward and into both the Poochyena and the grunt's ears, putting them both to sleep. As the grunt fell to the ground, they all saw that Commander Shelly was fast approaching.

"Oh no!" Lyla exclaimed, backing away slightly as the Commander slowed and paused just a few yards away.

"It's rather unfortunate that we'd have to meet under these circumstances, trainers. I'm sure you're all wonderful people, but I'm afraid you have something we want. If you surrender Jirachi to us now, I won't have to get aggressive with you."

"Not a chance!" Eziray shouted back as Aiden arrived at Lyla's side to protect her.

"Well, fine then…Sealeo, come on out!"

Just as she lifted the Pokéball from her waist, a large white van came screeching up beside the trainers and opened.

"Get in!" a tall woman with dark bluish hair and glasses exclaimed.

"Professor Europa?" Shelly observed as the trainers climbed in with Skitty and Jirachi. Then she watched as the van zoomed away. "How could this happen?"

"Um, hi…"Aiden trailed off. "Thanks for helping us out. Now, who are you?"

"My name is Luna Europa and I'm an astronomer," she began. "It's a good thing I got away from Team Aqua when I did or they would have used Jirachi for terrible things!"

"Terrible things?" Jirachi echoed, voice trembling slightly.

"You mean they had you captured? But why?" Eziray questioned.

"Because I'm one of the main researchers alive today who studies Jirachi and the Millennium Comet. They used me to learn about Jirachi's Eye of Truth."

"What the hell?" Lyla asked, not convinced by the woman's story.

"Do you see that crease on Jirachi's belly? It's an eye – an eye that, when opened, can absorb and let off a tremendous amount of power from the Millennium Comet. On its own, Jirachi can teleport small things like money, gems, and material items. With the power of the Eye of Truth, it can teleport something bigger and much more frightening…"

"And that's why Team Aqua wants Jirachi?" Lyla asked, protectively wrapping her arms around the Pokémon in question.

"Bingo!"

"Just a quick side question…if you were captured and brought here by Team Aqua, whose van is this?" Aiden asked as he peered through the window at the festival disappearing in the distance.

"Don't worry, I'll return it as soon as we get back!"

"Get back from where?" Eziray replied.

"From Forina!"

"Hear that, Jirachi? You're going home!" Lyla declared.

"Hurray!" the Wish Pokémon exclaimed.

During the next few hours, Professor Europa went into detail about Team Aqua's plans to use Jirachi to make the legendary Pokémon Kyogre appear so that they could capture it and control it with the Red Orb, using the Pokémon to flood the land with treacherous rain storms. She also mentioned how thankful she was that Jirachi had fallen into the hands of kind-hearted trainers rather than Team Magma who were just as wicked as Team Aqua. That night, they stopped to rest, keeping one eye open until morning. It was the third night of the Millennium Comet and Professor Europa predicted that they would arrive in Forina on the final night of the comet.

"Hey, I almost forgot!" Eziray whispered once everyone else was asleep. She pulled her Wishmaker out and held it up to the sky as she pulled the third flap down. Then she smiled and put it away. "Three down, four to go…"

For the next few days, they all traveled for miles and miles in that van, stopping each night to rest. On the seventh and final day of the comet, they arrived in Forina – a thick, green forest completely untouched by humans and inhabited by a large abundance of Pokémon. Jirachi zipped about, reminiscing and reacquainting himself with his homeland. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the place, actually, everyone except Lyla. Jirachi would be going to sleep that night and he wouldn't wake up for another one thousand years – that meant that she would never be able to see him again. Their time together had been rather brief but those past few days of traveling really strengthened the bond she had formed with this Pokémon. She had grown so attached to him that it was hard to let him go.

"Don't be sad, Wish Maker!" he exclaimed.

"Why do you call me that?" she asked with a smile.

"Because, the very first time I saw you, you made a wish!"

"I did?"

"Yes, in your dream!"

"What did I wish for?"

"You don't remember? You wished to become a better coordinator! But I don't know how to do that…"

"Don't worry, Jirachi. That's something that I'll have to do on my own!"

"Well, if it means anything to you, you're the best coordinator _I've_ ever met!"

Lyla giggled. She was the _only_ coordinator he'd ever met but his compliment touched her anyway. The smile soon faded as soon as she remembered that this would be her last day with him.

"This way! This way!" he exclaimed, racing ahead towards a cave. "This is where I'll lay down to rest!"

"Sunset's coming soon, isn't it…" Lyla trailed off.

"I'm afraid so…It's better for Jirachi though. As soon as he goes to sleep, those thugs won't have the chance to use his power for bad," Professor Europa explained.

"I know, but…"

"Come on! What are you waiting for? I want to show you where I sleep, Lyla!"

He led them into the cave and brought them to a large, stony pedestal at the center of the cavern. The walls surrounding it were tall and thick and there was a massive opening overhead, letting sunlight pour through.

"Up here!" Jirachi exclaimed, perching at the top of the pedestal.

"When exactly will you go to sleep?" Professor Europa asked.

"When the comet is gone!" he replied.

"Is there any way you could go dormant sooner?"

"Wait, why?" Lyla demanded.

"The longer he's awake, the more chance we risk Team Aqua finding us…"

"That's true…I suppose he gets tired when he uses his abilities," Lyla suggested.

"And we did leave all of our stuff behind," Eziray added.

"Jirachi, I wish for our tents and supplies that we left behind!" Lyla exclaimed.

"Okay!" the Wish Pokémon responded, closing his eyes as all of their belongings appeared, one-by-one.

The trainers organized it and packed it away as Lyla and Jirachi spent their last moments together. For some reason, however, the wish hadn't been enough to exhaust him.

"Let's see…" Lyla trailed off, wondering what else she could wish for to help him get to sleep.

"Well what do you know…That grunt was right! They _did_ intend to take Jirachi home!"

"Oh no!" Professor Europa gasped.

"Jirachi, you can't sleep now. You've yet to grant _our_ wish," Commander Shelly said with a malicious grin as a troop of Aqua grunts flooded the cave.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" Professor Europa screamed, rushing to Jirachi's side. "What you're planning to do with him is sick! I won't let you hurt him and I won't let you destroy this planet!"

"Stupid bitch," Shelly said as her Mightyena charged at Professor Europa and knocked her out of the way. "We're not destroying anything. Come along Jirachi; our boss is waiting."

The commander held up some sort of metal cube contraption and before Lyla could react to save her friend, a long net shot out from the box and Jirachi was entangled in it.

"The Millennium Comet is out! Hurry up Shelly!" a voice ordered through the speaker over her ear.

"I have our target and I'm coming out," she replied. "Sealeo, please close off the entrance to this cave."

"No!" Lyla shouted as she and the others followed after the fleeing Team Aqua members.

Just as Team Aqua exited the cave, a Sealeo waiting outside used Ice Beam to seal off the entrance and trap the trainers within.

"JIRACHI!" Lyla screamed.

"Combusken, Fire Spin!"

"And you use Flamethrower, Charo!"

Aiden and Eziray both sent out their Fire-types to melt the ice. To their surprise, the ice was rather thick and sturdy so it was no easy feat. As the two slowly powered their way through it, Aiden began to strategize a way to get Jirachi back. He knew they'd have no chance taking out a commander along with an entire army of grunts _and_ apparently their leader as well. They'd have to sneak out and analyze the situation carefully without being noticed.

"I'd like to help too!" Professor Europa exclaimed. "I haven't got any Pokémon but I'll do whatever I can!"

The four nodded and waited for the two Fire-types to finish melting the ice. As every moment passed by, they began to realize just how powerful Shelly's Sealeo must have been. When the ice was finally melted, they quietly slipped out.

"What…" Professor Europa gasped as she caught a glimpse of the scene unfolding just outside the cave.

Jirachi was lying still on the ground, both eyes on its face shut tightly and the eye on its stomach opened wide. A Grumpig stood over him and both of their bodies were glowing blue. A thick white beam of energy was extending down from the Millennium Comet and into Jirachi's Eye of Truth. A man that the trainers had never seen before was standing back, arms crossed victoriously as he watched his dream become reality. He was dressed in a formal black suit, his heavily muscled chest slightly exposed, with the Team Aqua symbol stitched just under the V of the neck. He also wore a blue bandana that displayed the Team Aqua symbol displayed, and he had a short black beard with a slight mustache as well.

"The day has finally come…" he trailed off. "All of this searching can come to an end because we now have the means of bringing Kyogre _to us_! Grumpig!"

The Grumpig's eyes began to glow blue as well and Jirachi cried out in pain, taking in a massive amount of energy from the Millennium Comet. A large figure then appeared before them all, floating on a small body of water that was nowhere near large enough to contain it.

"Kyogre," the leader began, holding up a shining crimson orb, "as your new master, I command you to obey!"

"ROOOOAAAAAH!" the legendary Pokémon roared.

**Author Notes:**

First major cliffhanger of the story! I hope it was exciting enough. I definitely strayed far from the movie about Jirachi because, in addition to wanting to make it more original, I wanted it to make more sense (I'm sorry, but that movie was so contradicting and nonsensical). I hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next part! Be sure to review ;)


	29. CH 29 A Legendary Scuffle

**Chapter 29: **

"His name is Archie," Professor Europa began, referring to the gentleman holding up the now glowing orb. "That thing in his hands is called the Red Orb. I don't know much other than what I overheard Commander Shelly saying about it, but I do know that it has the power to control the legendary Pokémon Kyogre."

"And Kyogre has the power to flood the world…" Eziray trailed off.

"Precisely."

As Archie held up the orb, it shined brighter and brighter. Kyogre hummed obediently, sinking down into submission as it gazed into the orb's light. Archie chuckled as he watched his own reflection in the legendary Pokémon's massive, glistening eyes.

"We have to do something!" Lyla exclaimed, trembling slightly.

"We need to get Jirachi to send Kyogre back to wherever it came from," Aiden began, eyes fixed on the Grumpig standing over Jirachi. "But that Grumpig appears to be controlling his subconscious."

"Leave it to me and Gracie!" Eziray exclaimed.

"Perfect. Lyla, you and me are going to distract Team Aqua," Aiden replied.

"R-Right," Lyla stuttered.

"Sounds like a plan! Charo, Baby, Speedy – back them up!" Eziray exclaimed, sending all her Pokémon out. "Gracie, you stick with me!"

"Got it!" the Kirlia exclaimed.

"You guys come out too," Lyla said, sending out her Pokémon as well. "Pikachu, take it easy because you're still recovering. Stay here and protect Professor Europa. Only attack if you need to!"

The Pikachu crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she slumped to the ground. To be honest, she had no interest in fighting alongside the trainers anyway. But then again, she really didn't want to be babysitting some random human either.

"Okay guys, you come out too!" Aiden exclaimed, sending out Espeon, Combusken, and Electrike. "Espeon, stay with me. You two, split up and take out as many grunts as you can."

"That's a good idea," Lyla began. "Skitty, you're coming with me. Eevee and Marshtomp, you can split off too. Oh and Marshtomp?"

"Tomp?" the Water-type replied, cocking his head.

"Wreak as much havoc as you possibly can!"

"MAAAAAAARSH!" Marshtomp cheered, throwing his arms into the air and running straight out into the Team Aqua crowd. Lyla, Aiden, and Eziray promptly smacked themselves in the forehead.

"Not yet…" Lyla choked.

"What in the world…" Shelly trailed off as Marshtomp started freezing some of the grunts solid.

"Shelly, take care of this!" Archie snapped.

As grunts began charging at Marshtomp, he hosed down the ground around him with Mudshot and they began sliding around and crashing into each other. Marshtomp grinned widely as Shelly ordered her Sealeo to wash the mud away with Water Gun. The Mud Fish Pokémon immediately froze that water solid and jumped, using the ice to gain momentum before slamming into the Sealeo with a great force.

"Damnit," Shelly muttered as her Sealeo tumbled through the dirt. "Get up! What in the world is wrong with you?"

"SHELLY!" Archie barked.

"S-Sorry sir…I'm on it. Mightyena, use Shadow Ball!"

Shelly's Mightyena charged forward, firing a dark purple orb from his mouth. Marshtomp responded with Bide and then used the power it absorbed to blast away as many Aqua grunts as he could with double the force.

"Well…we did need a distraction…" Aiden trailed off.

"I'm going in!" Eziray exclaimed as she got up and began to sneak over to where Jirachi was.

"Ready Lyla?" Aiden asked.

"I-I guess…" she trailed off, completely overwhelmed by the severity of the situation.

The two took off and charged in, their Pokémon racing along beside them. The ones assigned to split off did so and Lyla ordered Skitty to sing as many grunts to sleep as possible while Espeon used Psychic to fling them all out of their way.

Meanwhile, Marshtomp had somehow intercepted the Red Orb and was being chased around by Shelly's Mightyena. The Dark-type was much faster than him, however, and was quickly catching up so he turned his head and froze one of its legs to the ground with Ice Beam. The Mightyena tripped over itself, shattering the ice, and went tumbling.

"Tomp! Tomp!" the Mud Fish Pokémon exclaimed victoriously.

His celebration was short-lived, however, and he soon found himself surrounded by Shelly's Sealeo and Crawdaunt and Archie's Starmie, Walrein, and Masquerain. They all had their eyes fixed on the Red Orb in his possession so he acted on the very first thought to cross his mind, which was to launch it as far as he possibly could. There was a pause as Kyogre's trance was broken and it shifted restlessly in the insufficient pool of water below.

"Sir, Kyogre…" Shelly trailed off uneasily as Kyogre grumbled and growled lowly.

"I am _AWARE _of the situation," Archie snapped. "But I cannot quite grasp the fact that _no one_ has gone to RETRIEVE MY RED ORB!"

He took a look around and noticed that the vast majority of his grunts were either sleeping, frozen solid, defeated, or in the process of getting their ass handed to them.

"Masquerain, go get it…" he growled.

The Pokémon nodded and fluttered off as Marshtomp held his ground and Kyogre snarled rowdily.

"The rest of you, go get rid of those damn kids. THIS IS NOT A DIFFICULT TASK!" Archie continued. "Starmie, take out that nuisance!"

The Starmie let out a low screeching sound and shot forward, rapidly spinning itself into a blur as the other Pokémon surrounding Marshtomp dispersed.

"Marsh-TOOOMP!" Marshtomp exclaimed, giving it a blast of Mud Shot to counter the enemy's Rapid Spin attack.

The Starmie continued forward, completely unfazed by the mud splattering off the sides of its body. Marshtomp took the hit hard and rolled back in the dirt a bit as the Starmie halted and stuck its landing, demonstrating its complete control. Marshtomp stood and charged at its foe with Tackle, but the other Water-type countered it with Blizzard, releasing a dense blast of snowy wind. Marshtomp skidded in his tracks, bringing an arm up to block his face as the attack continued. Then he began to glow brightly with a wide grin.

"TOOOOOOMP!" he bellowed after Starmie's attack faded and he was ready to release Bide's energy.

Archie's Starmie couldn't do a thing. The explosion launched it back into a tree with a great white flash of energy. The Mysterious Pokémon slid down and hit the ground, but immediately lifted itself. Marshtomp tried to hit it with Water Gun while it was down, but it responded with Water Pulse. The powerful orb of water was much stronger than Water Gun, and it pushed right through as it closed in on Marshtomp. He gritted his teeth and used Ice Beam, freezing both the attack and the Starmie solid.

"Marsh. Marsh. Tomp!" he exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips victoriously.

"ZRRRZZZEEEE!"

The odd noise directed his attention back to Starmie's ice-encased body. The Mysterious Pokémon's gem was glowing brightly and Marshtomp cocked his head in confusion. Before he could figure it out, the icy envelope shattered as Starmie used Psychic. Then it shot forward with Rapid Spin once more, slamming Marshtomp against a large boulder. It didn't even allow the Mud Fish Pokémon to stand before launching him through the air with Psychic.

"MARSHTOMP!" Lyla cried as her Pokémon flew by and slammed right into Kyogre. This was what finally set the restless Sea Basin Pokémon into a ferocious fit of rage.

"ROOOOOOOAAAH!" it roared as Marshtomp ricocheted off and landed on the ground just in front of the pool of water.

"Tomp…" he trailed off as he sat up and rubbed his head.

The Kyogre went silent as it opened its jaw and began to charge up a Hyper Beam. Lyla shouted as loud as she could to warn Marshtomp but he was too beat up to move and he disappeared in a massive bright flash of terrifying power. He was blasted back and immediately lost all consciousness, crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

The rattled Sea Basin Pokémon shook and churned violently, splashing water all around it and scanning through the crowd of humans furiously. Who dared to disturb its slumber? Who dared to remove it from its resting place?

"Pika!" Lyla's Pikachu exclaimed, eyes shifting from Marshtomp's limp body to the now rampaging Kyogre thrashing about in the pool of water.

"Boss, without the Red Orb, we can't control it. It's going to destroy us all if we don't back out now!" Shelly pleaded.

"I'm not leaving here without it!"

"But we can come back! As soon as we have the Red Orb again, we can just come back…"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as she tore off towards the legendary Pokémon.

"Where are _you_ going?" Lyla demanded as the Electric-type raced past her. "PIKACHU, _NO_!"

Pikachu ignored her 'trainer' and continued towards Kyogre. She didn't care if she was still recovering. She didn't care how powerful Kyogre was. All she cared about was putting all her self-training to the test by taking it out. If she could accomplish that, she'd feel like the most powerful Pokémon in Hoenn.

[BAR]

"Thanks, Speedy!" Eziray exclaimed as her Grovyle victoriously held his foot over the fallen Grumpig. "Gracie would have been delayed taking down a fellow Psychic-type all by herself, so thanks for looking out for us and saving us some time."

"Vyle!" the Grovyle exclaimed.

"Hurry, Ezzie!" Gracie exclaimed, tugging at Eziray's shirt as Kyogre let out another thunderous roar. "Kyogre's out of control and Jirachi still needs our help!"

"Right!" Eziray exclaimed as she raced over to Jirachi with Gracie. "Uh oh, better hurry…"

Gracie glanced up and noticed that Pikachu and Kyogre were engaged in battle and no matter how many jolts of electricity were sent its way, the Kyogre wasn't even fazed despite its theoretically low tolerance for Electric-type moves.

"Gee, legendary Pokémon sure are strong aren't they?" Gracie observed as she positioned herself next to Jirachi and gently placed one of her hands over his forehead. "Jirachi, you can feel safe now because I'm a friend. We've come to rescue you! I would like to make one last wish and then you'll be free to rest until the next Millennium Comet…"

"Hurry up, Gracie," Eziray said as she noticed Archie closing in on Lyla who was desperately trying to return Pikachu to her ball.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he demanded. Lyla turned to look at him just as Kyogre blasted Pikachu away with Hydro Pump. "This was quite the little stunt you pulled. I had no idea you all were actually decent trainers. Walrein, get over here."

"Eevee, Skitty!" Lyla called, realizing that she'd been separated from her other two Pokémon.

The two Normal-types raced to her side and Archie studied them all for a moment. Then his tone suddenly changed.

"I've met you before…"

"Never," she replied.

"Hmm…" he trailed off, lost in thought as Shelly hurried over with her Mightyena.

"I wiped out the boy," she began. "He shouldn't be a problem anymore. I can take care of this one too, if you want me too."

"Aiden…" Lyla's thoughts trailed off as she bit her lip and slumped down slightly.

"That's quite alright. Walrein, use–"

Before finishing his statement, Kyogre lifted a fin high into the air, prepared to bring it back down on the three with a crushing blow. Lyla shrieked while Archie and Shelly just stared in disbelief and large droplets of water crashed down around them from the raised fin. Suddenly, Kyogre began shimmering with white Psychic energy and it brought its fin down slowly as if it understood that it was going home. Archie and Shelly watched in dismay as the legendary Pokémon slowly vanished before their eyes just as the Masquerain returned and dropped the Red Orb into its master's hand. He turned to Eziray and Gracie who were both jumping for joy with Jirachi who had closed his Eye of Truth and was now wide awake, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head in confusion.

"No matter…" Archie trailed off as he aggressively shoved Lyla aside and made his way back to Jirachi.

"Eziray!" Lyla warned as Shelly's Mightyena let out a low snarl to silence her.

"Huh?" Eziray asked as she looked up and saw the Team Aqua leader headed her way.

"Don't worry, Eziray," Jirachi began. "I'm really sleepy now. I wouldn't be able to summon Kyogre again even if he forced me."

"Jirachi…" Lyla trailed off as the Wish Pokémon floated gently into the air and began glowing brightly under the Millennium Comet's fading glow. Archie halted.

"Lyla, Eziray, Aiden – thank you! Thank you for bringing me home and thank you for being my friends! I didn't mean for all this trouble and I'm sorry. Please know that I am eternally grateful for all your help and that I'll never forget any of you! I hope that you'll make it out of this situation safely," he said as his body began to hum and glimmer.

"Jirachi, don't be sorry! None of this is your fault! I'm just glad you're okay!" Lyla replied as the legendary Pokémon smiled. "And I know you have to go now, but I just wanted you to know that you will be missed!"

"Good bye, friends! I'll miss you too," Jirachi replied. "But before I go, I'm going to do what I can to help you. Doom Desire!"

In a bright flash accented with stars, just as the attack in Lyla's dream, all of Team Aqua's Pokémon who were still out of their balls were knocked out, along with any remaining grunts that weren't already unconscious. When the attack was over, Jirachi slowly began to crystalize as he floated back down to the ground. Lyla rushed forward and caught him, holding him tightly as his body finished its transformation.

"And thank _you_ for being _our_ friend, Jirachi!" she exclaimed, brushing a tear away from her face as Jirachi's body became so bright that none of his features were distinguishable any longer. "Good bye…"

"Good night, Lyla. I hope all of your wishes come true!" Jirachi's voice echoed in her mind as the light faded and revealed his fully crystalized body.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered.

"Do you realize…" Archie trailed off, completely shattering the mood of the moment as he withdrew a Pokéball from his pocket. "Who exactly you've crossed? You three are in a whole load of trouble now!"

"Not good," Lyla thought to herself as she looked around at all the fallen Pokémon and Aqua Grunts scattered around the area. "It looks like Skitty, Eevee, Speedy and Gracie are the only Pokémon that can still fight. Who knows how many those higher-ups have got left…Stay strong."

Lyla stood tall and strode forward towards the man. Shelly proceeded to join her leader at his side but he held out his hand to stop her, curious to see what Lyla would do once she got close. The young girl's expression displayed a combination of both intense fear and passionate courage as she trudged on.

"Ready when you are," she said in a low, solemn tone.

"…How nostalgic," Archie whispered.

There was a very long moment of silence and stillness as he watched Lyla quiver in fear while standing as strong as she could. After staring into her eyes for a moment, he dipped his head down and sighed.

"Boss?" Shelly inquired.

"Move out," he murmured.

"Excuse me?" Shelly asked, baffled by his sudden change in heart. "Are you positive, sir?"

"You heard me. This whole operation was nothing but a roll of the dice anyway; I was expecting it to fail. It's not like any of this had anything to do with our original plans. We'll stick to them and Kyogre will be ours," he explained.

"But we would have had it sooner! This is _their _fault! They need to be–"

"I SAID _MOVE OUT_!"

Reluctantly, Shelly retreated from the scene, kicking the grunts out of unconsciousness as she passed them and jabbing Eziray in the shoulder on her way by. Archie turned back to Lyla.

"For a moment, looking into your expression, you reminded me of someone I used to know a long time ago and whom I miss very deeply. That just saved your ass I suppose…so take it as a blessing and let me make myself perfectly clear. If I _ever_ even _suspect _that you or your friends are meddling in Team Aqua's affairs again, I will ignore these absurd lingering emotions and cut you down where you stand!"

And with that, he turned and retreated as well, the grunts sluggishly trailing behind him.

"What…just happened?" Lyla asked, falling to her knees once the gang was gone.

"Lyla!" Eziray exclaimed as she and Aiden arrived at her side, Eziray holding Pikachu and Aiden holding Marshtomp. Both were unconscious and badly wounded.

"What did he say? Why did he let us off the hook so easily?" Aiden demanded.

"I remind him of someone he said…" she trailed off, running her fingers along Jirachi's dormant, crystalized body.

"Are you three alright?" Professor Europa gasped, hurrying over to them. "Your Pokémon don't look well…"

"Could you take us to a Pokémon Center?" Lyla replied shakily, calling Marshtomp, Pikachu, and Eevee to their balls.

"Certainly, but there's something we must do first. When you three are ready…"

"I understand," Lyla said, eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

She stood and made her way to Jirachi's pedestal inside the cave, she placed the crystal upon it, and she watched as it sunk in before her very eyes. She shivered a bit, still worked up over the situation they'd been in. Then she smiled slightly and whispered one last time, "I'll miss you."

[BAR]

"She's been so quiet…" Eziray trailed off, watching as Lyla wrapped a fresh bandage around Marshtomp's left shoulder near the back of the van. Professor Europa was focused on the road, Aiden was riding in the passenger seat, and Eziray was sitting against the back of his seat so she could keep an eye on their friend.

"Leave her be," Aiden replied as Lyla ripped the bandage with her teeth and gently laid the motionless Pokémon down. "She just had to say goodbye to a friend, half her team is severely injured, and she went face-to-face with a dangerous gang leader. She's a little more than shaken up."

"But it's been nearly three days!"

"Eziray…"

"Professor Europa said we'll be arriving soon," Lyla murmured to Skitty. The Kitten Pokémon looked up at her, purring. "Do you think Nurse Joy will be impressed? With the bandages I mean…I've been changing them every day, and cleaning their wounds, and applying medicine. Everyone looks great! But Marshtomp…he still hasn't woken up yet. Why won't he wake up?"

"Myaa…" Skitty trailed off as a tear rolled down Lyla's cheek.

"He's gonna be okay, right? He's gotta be. Skitty, we can't lose anyone else to one of those gangs; it's not fair! What did we ever take from them? Certainly nothing worth someone's life! How could they possibly think that _this_ is making the world a better place? Stealing from people? Terrorizing them? Ripping them from loved ones? Using innocent Pokémon for their own sick, selfish purposes. They're not helping the world; they're spoiling it."

She lowered her head into knees and cried softly, prompting Aiden and Eziray to take a seat on opposite sides of her and place an arm around her shoulders. Skitty rubbed against her, purring in an attempt to comfort her as well.

"I miss her…so…much," Lyla whispered.

**Author Notes:**

A little shorter, but I hope you still enjoyed it! I can't wait to reveal more Team Aqua/Magma plot; so many great twists! I also hope to transition Lyla into being the medicine-savvy person of the group who tends to their Pokémon's wounds when Nurse Joy isn't around. What do you guys think? And sorry for the long wait – this quarter was crazy! I hope to have lots more chapters up this summer. Be sure to leave a review with your thoughts!


End file.
